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The Kishida administration was supposed to enjoy &#8220;three golden years&#8221; without national elections, but the &#8220;resignation this year&#8221; scenario is becoming more and more likely. The Cabinet&#8217;s approval rating continues to decline due to a succession of ministerial removals and plans for tax hikes. There are whispers that Kishida&#8217;s administration is on the verge of falling apart due to a lack of coercive power and a lack of support among big-name Diet members.
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<figure id="attachment_287839" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-287839" style="width: 1568px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="abefb7cb"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/01/KIN_0613.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-287839" class="wp-caption-text"> Kishida (above) is responsible for ousting Nikai from the mainstream. If Kishida is to be ousted, he will do everything in his power to do so.</figcaption></figure>
 The &#8220;Kishida ouster&#8221; will become definitive after the nationwide local elections to be held in April this year. Political journalist Koichi Kakutani said, &#8220;The local elections will be a major turning point for the LDP.
 Koichi Kakutani, a political journalist, says, &#8220;The local elections will be a tough fight for the LDP. The LDP will face a tough fight in the local elections,&#8221; said Koichi Kakutani, a political journalist. Not only the former Unification Church but also other religious groups will not be able to cooperate in the election, and there will be a number of districts where they will lose by a narrow margin.
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 Kishida will step down as prime minister in May, when the G7 summit will be held in his hometown of Hiroshima, but it is doubtful that he will be able to maintain his position until the big day.
 One of the men in the dark for the &#8220;post-Kishida&#8221; position is the &#8220;specter&#8221; Toshihiro Nikai, 83, former secretary general of Japan&#8217;s National Security Council. Nikai is pushing former defense minister Shigeru Ishiba (65) as the kingmaker. In collusion with former Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide (74), who is a member of the anti-mainstream faction, he is planning to create the biggest swell involving public opinion since the &#8220;Koizumi whirlwind.
 Despite the fact that Ishiba has been out of the limelight for some time, opinion polls show that he is the most likely candidate to become the next prime minister. His experience as secretary-general and his knowledge of defense and agriculture and fisheries, which are the issues at hand, make him appealing to public opinion. Mr. Nikai will choose &#8220;someone who can win the election. His first choice is Kan, but he has no intention of becoming prime minister again. Rather, his main intention is to collude with Mr. Nikai to carry someone else to a key position in the party. 

 Now that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, his biggest rival, is dead, the number of Seiwa Council members who have an aversion to Mr. Ishiba has decreased. With his popularity in the public opinion behind him, there is a possibility that a feeling will emerge that Ishiba can fight the battle,&#8221; said Kakutani.
 The LDP&#8217;s &#8220;one-word faction&#8221; is on the rise.
<figure id="attachment_287837" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-287837" style="width: 2362px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="fb7b1f8f"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/01/KIN_0272.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-287837" class="wp-caption-text"> Many Diet members, regardless of party affiliation, listen to Mr. Ishiba&#8217;s comments on security and agriculture and fisheries. Will he be able to maintain public support?</figcaption></figure>
 From the January 20 and 27, 2023 issues of FRIDAY

 Takeshi Kinugawa

 The Kishida administration, which was supposed to spend three golden years in power, will step down this year! As the Cabinet's approval rating continues to decline, former Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai is in the dark with an eye on the post-Kishida position. The name of the next prime minister that Nikai is pushing for is...! And what is Nikai's true motive...

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