Attending a Press Conference in “130,000-Yen Luxury Brand Shoes”… “Icy Stares” Aimed at LDP’s Yasutoshi Nishimura from Both Inside and Outside the Party

“Luxury Shoes Priced at 130,000 Yen” Stand Out at a Low-Key Press Conference

In preparation for the extraordinary session of the Diet convened on October 5, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) finalized appointments for its new leadership at an extraordinary General Affairs Committee meeting on September 16. Subsequently, the party held a press conference to introduce the new top four leadership positions.

However, upon closer inspection, the only change was the replacement of General Affairs Chair Haruko Arimura (56) with Hiroshi Kajiyama (70); the party’s three top positions—Secretary-General, Policy Research Council Chair, and Election Strategy Committee Chair—were all reappointed.Since Mr. Kajiyama’s previous position was Chair of the National Policy Committee, the lineup of party leadership has remained virtually unchanged. With no promotion of high-profile lawmakers or female legislators, the reshuffle conveyed a sense of stability but lacked freshness.

“The most important thing is political stability.”

Shunichi Suzuki (73), who was reappointed as Secretary-General despite rumors of a rift with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (65), made this statement and repeatedly used the phrase “intra-party harmony.”

“Through party management, we want to create a system where we stand united to support Prime Minister Takaichi .”

Mr. Kajiyama, who was appointed as the new Chairman of the General Affairs Committee, kept his remarks modest throughout. Amid the solemn question-and-answer session, one party executive stood out from the crowd—It was Yasutoshi Nishimura (63), chairman of the Election Strategy Committee. Standing right next to Mr. Kajiyama, who was wearing functional dress shoes, Mr. Nishimura—wearing high-end Italian Ferragamo loafers (estimated at 130,000 yen)—stated:

“Looking ahead to next spring’s unified local elections and the House of Councillors election two years from now, I want to field strong, winning candidates and support them wholeheartedly.”

Mr. Nishimura is a former official of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) who has served as Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and Minister in Charge of Economic Revitalization.He is one of the senior members of the Seiwakai (formerly the Abe faction), known as the “Five Leaders” of the former Abe faction. Although he is in a position to know the details of the issue regarding the failure to report factional party ticket sales, he has remained silent. He received a one-year suspension of his party membership but was appointed to a position under the Takashi administration this past February.

A lawmaker from the former Abe faction wore a complex expression as he remarked:

“When he was promoting himself to Prime Minister Takaichi, he promised, ‘I will rally the Seiwakai and support the Prime Minister,’ but he was only able to gather about 10 people. His competence as campaign committee chairman is also in question.A string of losses by LDP-endorsed candidates in local elections—including in Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture; Ōmihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture; and Kiyose City and Nerima Ward, Tokyo—that began in early spring had left him on the verge of being ousted.

He managed to secure a victory in the recent Okinawa gubernatorial election and was reappointed, but that victory was largely due to the efforts of House of Councillors member Muneo Suzuki (78), who persuaded former Minister in Charge of Postal Privatization Mikio Shimoji (65)—who had planned to run—to withdraw his candidacy.“Should Mr. Nishimura be allowed to continue as campaign committee chairman?”

He curries favor with his superiors but is strict with his subordinates

Perhaps because he is a career bureaucrat and a graduate of the University of Tokyo, he sets high standards for others, and complaints about his heavy workload had been voiced by staff at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) with whom he worked.

In 2022, a document titled “Points to Note During Minister Nishimura’s Business Trips [Handle with Care]” was leaked from METI.The “instructions”—which included directives such as “Divide into two teams: one for purchasing boxed lunches and one for purchasing salads,” “Purchasing ice packs and using the air conditioning in the vehicle are mandatory,” and “Due to the extremely large volume of souvenirs purchased, personnel to carry the luggage are required”—sparked controversy.

A veteran secretary from the former Abe faction remarks with a wry smile:

“If you say, ‘I’m from Yasutoshi Nishimura’s office,’ during a secretary job interview, it proves you have the toughness to endure any treatment, and your chances of being hired increase dramatically.”

This magazine’s reporter has also entered Nishimura’s office several times; in the Diet Members’ Office Building, private conversation is strictly prohibited. When Mr. Nishimura is working in his office, the only sounds heard are the ringing of the phone and his voice answering it.For a time, the older brother of Satoshi Omi (32) from the comedy duo “La Parfait” worked there as a secretary, but it was not the kind of office where smiles came easily.

A former private secretary at Nishimura’s office recounts:

“When I was younger, as soon as a parliamentary league was formed, I would immediately run for secretary-general. It was to make a good impression on the leadership. However, preparing materials and lists for the league, as well as managing the venue, are the secretary’s responsibilities—and mistakes are not tolerated.He would always review the text himself, and if there were any typos or omissions, we’d get a call late at night asking for corrections. He’d throw his hat in the ring for the secretary-general position everywhere he went, and people around him started calling him ‘Mr. Secretary-General.’ He was delighted, but his secretaries were worn out.”

He was also relentless in his election campaign efforts. He would go door-to-door in his district, greeting voters one house at a time, repeating this “door-to-door campaign” round after round—once, twice, three times. Since voters sometimes move, it’s said that offices that keep their voter lists constantly up to date are strong in elections.

“In the morning, Mr. Nishimura would hand me a copy of the constituency map and instruct me, ‘Go around the entire area and report back.’ When I reported back at night, I’d share information about whether anyone had moved and how long-time supporters were doing.

He’ll sometimes point out a random house and ask, ‘What about this one?’ If I report, ‘There was a Communist Party candidate’s poster up, so I didn’t ring the doorbell,’ he’ll give detailed instructions: ‘Just because there’s a poster doesn’t mean everyone there is a supporter. Even if the father is a supporter, the son might not be. You have to investigate that thoroughly.’

When party tickets weren’t selling, he’d take out his own smartphone, call a CEO he knew, and secure a promise to buy 10 tickets. Then, despite their different positions, he’d take a mysterious swagger, saying, “I just took care of what you couldn’t do in a whole day with a single phone call.”“It’s a learning experience for secretaries aiming to become local lawmakers, but those who want to work behind the scenes for the long haul end up leaving,” said the former private secretary.

It’s also well known that Mr. Nishimura is a former member of the University of Tokyo boxing club. Even now, he works up a sweat on the treadmill while wearing a sauna suit and maintains his slim figure by taking the stairs on a regular basis.

“Before the Kishida administration, faction members would gather at LDP headquarters every Thursday at noon to eat boxed lunches and exchange opinions. We used to look forward to eating dishes like pork cutlet curry, eel, and tempura rice bowls. But whenever Mr. Nishimura was in charge of the lunches, the menu consisted of low-calorie dishes like simmered vegetables and grilled fish. And they were lightly seasoned, too.‘Let’s grab some ramen at the cafeteria on the 9th floor before heading home,’ we’d whisper to each other,” said the lawmaker.

Mr. Nishimura is strict with himself and has a flair for style. He’s even thoughtful enough to send onions—a specialty of his home island of Awaji—to the offices of opposition lawmakers. If this “devil in Ferragamo shoes” (rather than the “Devil Wears Prada”) were to gain the support of the people, might he be able to take his career to the next level…?