The 2020 Liberal Democratic Party of Japan presidential election was triggered by

Shinzo Abe Shinzo Abe (21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. ...

's announcement on 28 August 2020 that he would resign as

President of the Liberal Democratic Party The is the highest position within Japan's Liberal Democratic Party. The current holder of the position is Prime Minister of Japan, Shigeru Ishiba, who was elected to the position on 27 September 2024, following his victory in the party's pres ...

and

Prime Minister of Japan The is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its ministers of state. The prime minister also serves as the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Force ...

, citing a relapse of his colitis. Voting took place on 14 September 2020 to elect the next president of the

Liberal Democratic Party of Japan The , frequently abbreviated to LDP, the Lib Dems, or , is a major conservativeThe Liberal Democratic Party is widely described as conservative: * * * * * and Japanese nationalism, nationalistSources describing the LDP as nationalist: * ...

, three days before the

National Diet , transcription_name = ''Kokkai'' , legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet , coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg , house_type = Bicameral , houses = , foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...

was scheduled to hold a session to elect the new prime minister. Initially scheduled to be held in September 2021, incumbent LDP president and the longest-serving

, suddenly resigned on 28 August 2020, citing recent health concerns, prompting an election to select the President to serve the rest of Abe's term. Chief Cabinet Secretary

Yoshihide Suga is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), LDP) from 2020 to 2021. He had served as Chief Cabinet Secretary during the second administration ...

easily won the election, securing endorsements from a majority of voting members of the party in the days preceding the vote. As the Liberal Democratic Party controlled a majority in the

as a member of the governing coalition, Suga successfully succeeded Abe as Prime Minister of Japan on 16 September 2020. His principal rival,

Fumio Kishida Fumio Kishida (born 29 July 1957) is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party ( LDP) from 2021 to 2024. He has been a member of the House of Representatives in the National Diet ...

, later succeeded him as prime minister after Suga's resignation in October 2021. The third-placed candidate,

Shigeru Ishiba Shigeru Ishiba (born 4 February 1957) is a Japanese politician who has served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2024. He has been a member of ...

, would eventually succeed Kishida in

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

after the latter also resigned the party leadership and the premiership.

Background

Following several hospital visits which launched speculation into his health, incumbent Prime Minister

announced during a press conference on 28 August 2020 that he would resign before the end of his final term in office due to a resurgence of his chronic

ulcerative colitis Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the two types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with the other type being Crohn's disease. It is a long-term condition that results in inflammation and ulcers of the colon and rectum. The primary sympto ...

. During the press conference, Abe announced that as a result the LDP is preparing for a leadership election to choose his successor, and that he would not endorse any specific candidate.

Procedure

There are two ways by which the president could be elected in the leadership election: the first would be an open election in which voting power is given to both party members and members of the National Diet. Each would receive half of the voting power to elect the new president. The other method would allow the vote to be restricted to the Diet members (394) and representatives from each of Japan's 47 prefectures (141), which would add up to 535 electors. According to an LDP lawmaker,

Toshihiro Nikai is a former Japanese politician for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the leader of the LDP Shisuikai faction (informally called the Nikai faction), who served as the Secretary-General of the LDP from 2016 to 2021. He was previously the ...

, the party's secretary-general, decided on the second option. To appear on the ballot, candidates must receive at least 20 nominations from the 394 Diet members in the LDP caucus.

Timeline

2020

* 28 August –

announces his resignation as

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

and LDP president. He will remain on until a successor is chosen. * 29 August – Party officials announce the election will take place someday before, on, or after 15 September 2020. * 31 August – Party officials announce the election will be held on 14 September 2020. * 1 September – Former

Foreign Affairs Minister In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral rela ...

and former

Defense Minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

officially announce their candidacies. * 2 September – Chief Cabinet Secretary

officially announces his candidacy. * 8 September – Campaign officially began. The candidates held a joint press conference. * 9 September – The first of two public debate between the leadership candidates was held. * 12 September – The second public debate between the leadership candidates was held. * 14 September – The election was held; Yoshihide Suga wins on the first ballot with 377 votes.

Candidates

Declared

Declined

Tarō Asō is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2008 to 2009. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), he also served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance from 2012 to 2021. He was the longest-serving De ...

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...

Minister of Finance A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfolio ...

, member of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

for

Fukuoka 8th district is a single-member constituency of the House of Representatives in the Diet of Japan. It covers Northern central parts of Fukuoka including the city of Iizuka, home to the Asō family ( Asō Corp./KK) and Tarō Asō, Liberal Democratic Party ...

; former

(2008–2009) and former party president (2008–2009). Grandson of former

Shigeru Yoshida was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as prime minister of Japan from 1946 to 1947 and again from 1948 to 1954, serving through most of the country's occupation after World War II. Yoshida played a major role in determining the cour ...

and brother of

Princess Tomohito of Mikasa (born ; 9 April 1955) is a member of the Japanese Imperial Family as the widow of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa. Background and education Nobuko, a Catholic, was born on 9 April 1955 in Tokyo. She is the third daughter and youngest child of , ...

. *

Tomomi Inada is a Japanese lawyer and politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives, representing the 1st Fukui Prefecture since September 2005. She previously served as Minister of Defense from August 2016 to July 2017, resigning in respons ...

, member of the

for Fukui 1st district; former

Minister of Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

(2016-2017), Minister of Administrative Reform (2012-2014), Minister of State for Regulatory Reform (2012-2014). * Shinjiro Koizumi,

Minister of the Environment An environment minister (sometimes minister of the environment or secretary of the environment) is a cabinet position charged with protecting the natural environment and promoting wildlife conservation. The areas associated with the duties of a ...

, member of the

for

Kanagawa 11th district is a constituency of the House of Representatives of Japan, House of Representatives in the Diet of Japan (national legislature). It is located in Kanagawa Prefecture, and consists of the cities of Miura, Kanagawa, Miura and Yokosuka, Kanagawa, ...

. Son of former Prime Minister

Junichiro Koizumi Junichiro Koizumi ( ; , ''Koizumi Jun'ichirō'' ; born 8 January 1942) is a Japanese retired politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) ...

. * Tarō Kōno, runner-up in the

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

leadership election;

, member of the

for Kanagawa 15th district; former

Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...

(2017–2019) and former

Chair of the National Public Safety Commission The is a member of the Cabinet of Japan and is the presiding officer of the National Public Safety Commission (Japan), National Public Safety Commission, which is the parent agency of the National Police Agency (Japan), National Police Agency. T ...

(2015–2016). Son of

Yōhei Kōno is a Japanese politician and a former President of the Liberal Democratic Party. He served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from November 2003 until August 2009, when the LDP lost its majority in the 2009 election. Kōno served as sp ...

, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives. *

Toshimitsu Motegi is a Japanese politician who served as the Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party from 2021 to 2024. He has previously served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2019 to 2021, and as Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry from 20 ...

Minister for Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral re ...

, member of the

for

Tochigi 5th district Tochigi (栃木) may refer to: * Tochigi Prefecture is a landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Tochigi Prefecture has a population of 1,897,649 (1 June 2023) and has a geographic area of ...

; former

Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry The is a member of the Cabinet of Japan and is the leader and chief executive of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The minister is also a statutory member of the National Security Council (Japan), National Security Council, and is nomin ...

(2012–2014). *

Yasutoshi Nishimura is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry from August 2022 until December 2023. Nishimura previously served as Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy from 2019 to 2021. A member of the Liberal De ...

, third place candidate in the 2009 leadership election; Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy, member of the

for Hyogo 9th district. *

Seiko Noda Seiko Noda (野田聖子, Noda Seiko; born 3 September 1960) is a Japanese politician who served as Minister-in-charge of Measures against Declining Birthrate from October 2021 to August 2022. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, she pre ...

, member of the

for

Gifu 1st district Gifu 1st district (''Gifu-ken dai-ikku'') is a single-member electoral district for the House of Representatives, the lower house of the National Diet of Japan. It is located in Gifu Prefecture and covers the capital city Gifu. In September 2023 t ...

; former

Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications The is a member of the Cabinet of Japan and is the leader and chief executive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. The minister is also a statutory member of the National Security Council (Japan), National Security Council, and ...

(2017–2018). Wife of Yōsuke Tsuruho, member of the

House of Councillors The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers (Japan), House of Peers. If the t ...

for

Wakayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Wakayama Prefecture has a population of 876,030 () and a geographic area of . Wakayama Prefecture borders Osaka Prefecture to the north, and Mie Prefecture and Nara Prefecture to ...

. *

Hakubun Shimomura is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a former member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). Shimomura is affiliated with the openly revisionist organization Nippon Kaigi. As Minister of ...

, current party election strategy chief, member of the

for Tokyo 11th district; former

Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology The is a member of the Cabinet of Japan and is the leader and chief executive of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The minister is nominated by the Prime Minister of Japan and is appointed by the Emperor of Japan. ...

(2012–2015). File:Aso Taro.jpg, File:Tomomi Inada 20121226 (cropped).jpg, File:Shinjirō Koizumi 20121226.jpg, File:Tarō Kōno 20110307.jpg, File:Robert Lighthizer meets with Toshimitsu Motegi at USTR (1) (cropped).jpg, File:Yasutoshi Nishimura (2019).jpg, File:Seiko Noda 200809.jpg, File:Hakubun Shimomura (cropped).jpg,

Supporters

Endorsements

Opinion polling

Nationwide

Results

44 prefectural LDP branches held primaries, while the prefectural federations in

Hokkaido is the list of islands of Japan by area, second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own list of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō fr ...

and Niigata conducted questionnaire-style surveys among their members and the LDP Akita didn't hold any form of membership vote. Of the 46 primaries or surveys, Kishida only carried his home prefecture of Hiroshima, winning all three delegates, and Yamanashi where he won two delegates over one for Suga. Ishiba won all three delegates in his home prefecture of Tottori, and carried

Toyama Toyama may refer to: Places * Toyama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on the main Honshu island * Toyama (city), the capital city of Toyama Prefecture * Toyama Station, the main station of Toyama, Toyama * Toyama Sta ...

, Mie,

Shimane is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a geographic area of 6,708.26 km2. Shimane Prefecture borders Yamagu ...

Kōchi Kochi is a city in Kerala, India. Kochi or Kōchi may also refer to: People * Kochi people, a predominantly Pashtun nomadic people of Afghanistan * , a Japanese surname: ** Arata Kochi (born 1948 or 1949), Japanese physician and World Health Org ...

and Miyazaki by two delegates to one over Suga. Yamagata, Fukushima, Kagawa,

Nagasaki , officially , is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Founded by the Portuguese, the port of Portuguese_Nagasaki, Nagasaki became the sole Nanban trade, port used for tr ...

and

Kumamoto is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2. had a populat ...

split their delegates evenly between the three candidates. In all other prefectures, Suga prevailed, winning either all three prefectural delegates, or two with the third going to Ishiba, depending on the vote margin of his victory and on whether the primary voting system was

d'Hondt D'Hondt is a Dutch surname, most common in East Flanders.

proportional, as it was in the majority of prefectures, or

FPTP First-past-the-post (FPTP)—also called choose-one, first-preference plurality (FPP), or simply plurality—is a single-winner voting rule. Voters mark one candidate as their favorite, or first-preference, and the candidate with more first- ...

.Yomiuri Shimbun, September 17, 2020
早わかり！自民党総裁選2020
table with primary votes & delegate count by prefecture & candidate at the bottom, retrieved August 31, 2021. (Okinawa results are missing in the source as they were still "scheduled to be published"
the turnout is published
on the website of the LDP Okinawa, the result apparently isn't.)

References

{{Liberal Democratic Party of Japan leadership elections

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

Indirect elections Political party leadership elections in Japan Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)

Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) leadership election