[Japanese Side] 'Abe Rival'... Hayashi Yoshimasa Returns as Chief Cabinet Secretary

Hayashi Family Member Who Faced Abe in Yamaguchi Prefecture
Reappointed as Chief Cabinet Secretary Just 3 Months After Resigning as Foreign Minister

Japan was abuzz with political news throughout the week. The Abe faction, led by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, became embroiled in a political slush fund scandal, resulting in the large-scale replacement of four incumbent ministers belonging to the Abe faction.

Prime Minister Kishida, who decided to oust the Abe faction, also included the Chief Cabinet Secretary, known as the 'second-in-command' in the Japanese cabinet, in the replacement list. The person who took over the position of Chief Cabinet Secretary from Matsuno Hirokazu is former Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

As Prime Minister Kishida appointed figures who were 'anti-Abe faction' or had less factional color, former Foreign Minister Hayashi attracted significant attention in Japan. Hayashi is known as Abe's rival because his family and former Prime Minister Abe's family were divided and fought within the same electoral district. In other words, he embodies the essence of the 'anti-Abe faction.'

Today, we share the story of the rivalry between former Foreign Minister Hayashi and former Prime Minister Abe.

Former Foreign Minister Hayashi was born in Tokyo in 1961. His father was Hayashi Yoshiro, a former member of the House of Representatives. In Japan, where hereditary politics is common, this means he was born into a 'political spoon' family.

Although he was born in Tokyo because his father was a bureaucrat there at the time, Hayashi's roots are in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The Hayashi family originally ran a soy sauce factory in Yamaguchi for a long time. Starting from the soy sauce factory, the family has had a high profile in the region, with his great-grandfather serving as a legislator. Since his father Yoshiro had to inherit the electoral district, the entire family moved to Yamaguchi, and his father ran for and was elected in Yamaguchi's 1st district.

There is another hereditary political family in Yamaguchi Prefecture: the Abe family of former Prime Minister Abe. At one point, Abe was the support group chairman for former Representative Abe Yoshiro and actively supported him. However, Yoshiro declared an independent political path, deciding to pursue his own politics. From then on, the Hayashi and Abe families became rivals.

The rivalry between these families was most prominent in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. During election periods, Shimonoseki was split into two sides: the Hayashi faction and the Abe faction. Restaurants, cafes, barbershops, and even taxis were divided between the Hayashi and Abe factions. At the taxi stand in front of the station, a secretary from former Prime Minister Abe's election office refused to get into taxis because the drivers were classified as friendly to the Hayashi family. When the Abe office secretary stubbornly waited without getting in, someone from the Hayashi election office immediately got in and left?a famous story.

Also, on days when former Prime Minister Abe held parties, a curious scene occurred where people lined up only at one of the two barbershops near the station. Since those attending the party needed haircuts, they had to go to the barbershop affiliated with the Abe family, causing crowds and long lines. Although it seems extreme, insiders say it was to prevent political information from leaking between the two sides during conversations. This rivalry between the two families has lasted nearly 50 years.

Former Foreign Minister Hayashi also followed a political path within this context. He graduated from the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Law and attended Harvard University Graduate School in the United States, following an elite course. Later, he served as his father's secretary and officially entered politics. He was first elected in 1995 and won three consecutive terms. Gradually gaining recognition, he became active within the Liberal Democratic Party as a member of the 'Kishida faction.'

Despite being from a rival family, former Prime Minister Abe actively appointed Hayashi. In the second Abe Cabinet in 2012, Hayashi served as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and in the third cabinet, he served as Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

When Prime Minister Kishida took office, Hayashi, a leading figure of the Kishida faction, was appointed Foreign Minister. In July this year, he met with South Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin to discuss the forced labor issue. When Kishida reshuffled the cabinet and appointed Kamikawa Yoko as Foreign Minister, Hayashi stepped down.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Then, as the political slush fund allegations against the Abe faction escalated, Prime Minister Kishida made the decision to dismiss Matsuno, the Chief Cabinet Secretary belonging to the Abe faction. He called back former Foreign Minister Hayashi, who had retired three months earlier, to serve as Chief Cabinet Secretary. While it may seem like a glamorous comeback, Japanese media report that others declined the Chief Cabinet Secretary position, and Hayashi was the one who accepted it.

Ultimately, the Abe and Hayashi families, rivals from the electoral district level, remain in this awkward relationship once again.

In Japan's political circles, the prevailing view is that this personnel change will have little effect. Amid the chaotic situation, Japanese media are also focusing on whether former Foreign Minister Hayashi can effectively fulfill the role of the 'second-in-command' in the administration.