Victory of the Late Abe? Why the Abe Family Swept the Yamaguchi Prefecture Election in Japan

Abe's Successor Finally Elected in Abe's District
Japanese Media Criticizes Normalization of Hereditary Politics

As the unified local elections in Japan concluded, Abe Shinzo, the former prime minister's political hometown of Yamaguchi Prefecture saw Abe's nephew and Abe's successor each elected, sparking another controversy over political inheritance. This clearly demonstrated that Abe's title still carries significant influence. Critics pointed out that more than the individual abilities of politicians, who they are backed by and the characteristics of the constituency as a 'conservative kingdom' played a crucial role in their election. Japanese media also highlighted that it is time to break away from the widespread culture of political inheritance.

On the 23rd, in Yamaguchi's 2nd district, 31-year-old Kishi Nobuchiyo, Abe's nephew and the son of former Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo, was elected to the House of Representatives. On the same day, in Yamaguchi's 4th district, Abe's wife Akiye's recommended candidate, 38-year-old Yoshida Shinji, secured a seat. Considering that Abe, who served ten terms, represented this district and a 30-something former city council member succeeded him, it shows that Abe's shadow still looms even after his passing.

Kishi Nobuchiyo, who was elected. (Photo by NHK)

Nobuchiyo, elected in Yamaguchi's 2nd district, is the son of former Defense Minister Nobuo and the grandson of former Prime Minister Kishi Nobusuke. Since Abe had no children, Nobuchiyo is effectively the only politician to carry on Abe's bloodline.

However, he was heavily embroiled in inheritance controversies from the election period. Having already retired from being a broadcast reporter and working as his father's secretary to solidify the inheritance structure, he openly advertised on his own campaign website when running for office. Nobuchiyo posted a family tree on his candidate homepage that included not only his father Nobuo but also his great-uncle, former Prime Minister Abe. This led to criticism accusing him of blatantly flaunting political inheritance, and after controversy, he deleted the family tree.

There were also doubts about his competitiveness. Although predictions favored Nobuchiyo's smooth victory, analysis suggested a close race due to the candidacy of independent Hiraoka Hideo, a former Justice Minister during the Democratic Party coalition government.

Family tree posted and deleted by Nobuchiyo Kishi on the homepage. (Photo by NHK)

Nobuchiyo overcame the controversy and succeeded in being elected, but it was pointed out that this was thanks to his family's influence. NHK reported, “According to exit polls, about 80% of Liberal Democratic Party supporters and 70% of Komeito supporters backed Nobuchiyo, but only 20% of the non-affiliated voters supported him.” Meanwhile, his opponent Hiraoka received 70% support from the non-affiliated voters. Nobuchiyo's victory was ultimately protected by the stronghold of the conservative kingdom.”

Yoshida, elected in Yamaguchi's 4th district, could not escape similar criticism. Since Akiye Abe rejected his own candidacy offer and pushed him as the successor, he emphasized his connection to former Prime Minister Abe during the election. He called himself 'Abe's successor,' hung his own campaign posters alongside Abe's posters in his office, and appealed to resolve the injustice of Abe's assassination and continue his political legacy. Japanese media reporting from the campaign site at the time pointed out, “The people at the campaign site are not Yoshida supporters but all members of Abe's support group.”

In fact, political inheritance is common in Japan. Already, 30% of Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers and 70% of all prime ministers since 1989 have been hereditary politicians. This is not just about this election. Earlier, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio appointed his eldest son Kishida Shotaro as his secretary, and Shotaro accompanied his father on a European trip, using an official car for sightseeing, which sparked controversy over private use.

Another example that clearly illustrates this is the saying, “What is needed in Japanese elections is the '3 bags' (jiban, kanban, kaban).” Jiban means local organization, kanban means name recognition, and kaban means campaign funds. Since all three end with the sound 'ban' in Japanese, they are collectively called the '3 bags.' Hereditary politicians have all three, giving them an absolute advantage.

Japanese media have also begun to closely monitor this situation. The Mainichi Shimbun, in an interview with Daniel Smith, a Columbia University professor studying Japanese politics, reported, “A survey of the proportion of hereditary lawmakers in 24 democratic countries that publish data on relatives of parliamentarians ranked Japan 4th.” He added, “The top-ranked countries, Thailand and the Philippines, are emerging democracies, and Iceland, ranked third, has a small population where hereditary politics frequently occurs. However, Japan has unique characteristics that do not fit any of these conditions.”

He further stated, “Japan's political system is closed and excessively stable. This ultimately leads to voter resignation, where they lack the motivation to change the status quo,” adding, “In the end, hereditary politics results in voters losing interest in politics.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.