03:42Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) prime minister candidates held an event in Tokyo on Thursday where they called for 'security' in the region. This comes a week before the party's leadership election following Prime Minister Fumio Kishida resignation.
"Ukraine today could be Asia tomorrow. Such a discussion was made about replacing Russia with China, Ukraine with Taiwan, and Taiwan is not even in the UN. Why in this region? How can we keep the peace? Collective security is needed in this Asia," said one candidate, Shigeru Ishiba.
Meanwhile, Japan's former Minister of Environment Shinjiro Koizumi vowed to help raise the wages of small business owners as well as those on fixed incomes and pensions. The former minister also promised to 'consider the expansion of benefits' in the country.
"Secondly, the economy in the rural areas of Japan is also suffering from this price-type wrinkle, with school lunches and other food costs skyrocketing, and the improvement of compensation for those who are working hard in nursing, welfare, care and various other essential jobs," she added.
Some locals echoed concerns regarding incomes in the country, especially the effects of lower wages on Japan's younger generations. One local called on the ruling party to eliminate the upper limit for earning money.
"It is the youth of Japan who will build this country, and I believe that nation-building is about building people. So, politicians should invest in young people. So, I think the mission given to the ruling party is to support the young people who will build the future of Japan," he said.
"There is a current situation among students that they are not interested in politics anymore," another added, "So, I hope that they can create a society in which we, young people, can take an interest in politics."
Figures running in the election include; Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa, and Shinjiro Koizumi, former Environment Minister and son of former PM Junichiro Koizumi.
Local polls suggest the public largely favours Ishiba, Koizumi and Takaichi, with voting among the party to be held on September 27. Since the LDP is currently in government, the winner will become Japan's next prime minister.
It comes after PM Kishida withdrew his candidacy for re-election. The 67-year-old has been in office since October 2021, winning a general election shortly afterwards.
Recently, Kishida's popularity has declined amid an ongoing cost of living crisis, with a weakening yen, rising inflation, and corruption scandals plaguing the LDP.
The latest scandal came in January, involving a slush fund of undeclared party money in which 80 LDP lawmakers were implicated, ten of whom have since been indicted.
The LDP has been in power in Japan almost continuously since 1945, only being relegated to the opposition between 1993 and 1994 and from 2009-2012.
Japan's LDP PM hopefuls call for 'collective security' a week before party's leadership election following Kishida's resignation
Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) prime minister candidates held an event in Tokyo on Thursday where they called for 'security' in the region. This comes a week before the party's leadership election following Prime Minister Fumio Kishida resignation.
"Ukraine today could be Asia tomorrow. Such a discussion was made about replacing Russia with China, Ukraine with Taiwan, and Taiwan is not even in the UN. Why in this region? How can we keep the peace? Collective security is needed in this Asia," said one candidate, Shigeru Ishiba.
Meanwhile, Japan's former Minister of Environment Shinjiro Koizumi vowed to help raise the wages of small business owners as well as those on fixed incomes and pensions. The former minister also promised to 'consider the expansion of benefits' in the country.
"Secondly, the economy in the rural areas of Japan is also suffering from this price-type wrinkle, with school lunches and other food costs skyrocketing, and the improvement of compensation for those who are working hard in nursing, welfare, care and various other essential jobs," she added.
Some locals echoed concerns regarding incomes in the country, especially the effects of lower wages on Japan's younger generations. One local called on the ruling party to eliminate the upper limit for earning money.
"It is the youth of Japan who will build this country, and I believe that nation-building is about building people. So, politicians should invest in young people. So, I think the mission given to the ruling party is to support the young people who will build the future of Japan," he said.
"There is a current situation among students that they are not interested in politics anymore," another added, "So, I hope that they can create a society in which we, young people, can take an interest in politics."
Figures running in the election include; Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa, and Shinjiro Koizumi, former Environment Minister and son of former PM Junichiro Koizumi.
Local polls suggest the public largely favours Ishiba, Koizumi and Takaichi, with voting among the party to be held on September 27. Since the LDP is currently in government, the winner will become Japan's next prime minister.
It comes after PM Kishida withdrew his candidacy for re-election. The 67-year-old has been in office since October 2021, winning a general election shortly afterwards.
Recently, Kishida's popularity has declined amid an ongoing cost of living crisis, with a weakening yen, rising inflation, and corruption scandals plaguing the LDP.
The latest scandal came in January, involving a slush fund of undeclared party money in which 80 LDP lawmakers were implicated, ten of whom have since been indicted.
The LDP has been in power in Japan almost continuously since 1945, only being relegated to the opposition between 1993 and 1994 and from 2009-2012.
Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) prime minister candidates held an event in Tokyo on Thursday where they called for 'security' in the region. This comes a week before the party's leadership election following Prime Minister Fumio Kishida resignation.
"Ukraine today could be Asia tomorrow. Such a discussion was made about replacing Russia with China, Ukraine with Taiwan, and Taiwan is not even in the UN. Why in this region? How can we keep the peace? Collective security is needed in this Asia," said one candidate, Shigeru Ishiba.
Meanwhile, Japan's former Minister of Environment Shinjiro Koizumi vowed to help raise the wages of small business owners as well as those on fixed incomes and pensions. The former minister also promised to 'consider the expansion of benefits' in the country.
"Secondly, the economy in the rural areas of Japan is also suffering from this price-type wrinkle, with school lunches and other food costs skyrocketing, and the improvement of compensation for those who are working hard in nursing, welfare, care and various other essential jobs," she added.
Some locals echoed concerns regarding incomes in the country, especially the effects of lower wages on Japan's younger generations. One local called on the ruling party to eliminate the upper limit for earning money.
"It is the youth of Japan who will build this country, and I believe that nation-building is about building people. So, politicians should invest in young people. So, I think the mission given to the ruling party is to support the young people who will build the future of Japan," he said.
"There is a current situation among students that they are not interested in politics anymore," another added, "So, I hope that they can create a society in which we, young people, can take an interest in politics."
Figures running in the election include; Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa, and Shinjiro Koizumi, former Environment Minister and son of former PM Junichiro Koizumi.
Local polls suggest the public largely favours Ishiba, Koizumi and Takaichi, with voting among the party to be held on September 27. Since the LDP is currently in government, the winner will become Japan's next prime minister.
It comes after PM Kishida withdrew his candidacy for re-election. The 67-year-old has been in office since October 2021, winning a general election shortly afterwards.
Recently, Kishida's popularity has declined amid an ongoing cost of living crisis, with a weakening yen, rising inflation, and corruption scandals plaguing the LDP.
The latest scandal came in January, involving a slush fund of undeclared party money in which 80 LDP lawmakers were implicated, ten of whom have since been indicted.
The LDP has been in power in Japan almost continuously since 1945, only being relegated to the opposition between 1993 and 1994 and from 2009-2012.