"Thought She Was My Birth Mother, But She Was My Aunt"... Koizumi, the 'Youngest Prime Minister Candidate,' Reveals Family Story

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Shinjiro Koizumi (43), former Minister of the Environment and a leading candidate for Japan's next prime minister, revealed details about his family background in his first speech since the election announcement. On the 12th, Koizumi, who is running in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership election to succeed Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, mentioned his family history, including the divorce of his father, former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, during his candidate statement at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo. He also disclosed that he met his biological mother for the first time this year.

On the 12th, Koizumi, former Minister of the Environment and a candidate in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party presidential election to choose the successor to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, revealed during his candidate statement presentation held at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo that day afternoon that he met his biological mother for the first time this year, mentioning family matters such as the divorce of his father, former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
[Photo by AP·Yonhap News]

He confessed, "My parents divorced when I was young, but I didn't know about the divorce until I was in the second year of middle school. The person I thought was my mother was actually my aunt (the elder sister of former Prime Minister Koizumi)." He continued, "I thought I only had one older brother (actor Kotaro Koizumi), but I found out I had a younger sibling as well. I met my younger sibling, who has a different surname, for the first time in college, and I was surprised because he looked exactly like my father. In an instant, the distance and gap between us were filled." However, he added, "Still, I did not feel like meeting the mother who gave birth to me. I thought meeting her would be a betrayal to the aunt who raised me."

Koizumi said his thoughts changed after he got married and became a father with the birth of his eldest son. He married broadcaster Christel Takigawa in 2019, and they had their first son the following year. Koizumi stated, "I met my mother for the first time this year. I won't go into details, but it was good to meet her. I haven't met her for 43 years, and our surnames are different, but family is family. Because I have lived such a life, I want to create a tolerant and inclusive conservative party, the LDP," expressing his aspirations.

Regarding Koizumi's family confession, the Sankei Shimbun described it as "extremely rare for him to talk about personal matters in public," calling it a very unusual event.

Former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Father: "He is an adult now... Let him decide for himself"

Shinjiro Koizumi is a fourth-generation hereditary politician, starting from his great-grandfather. Benefiting from the strong backing of his father, a former prime minister, he first entered the House of Representatives in 2009 and is now serving his fifth term. Born in 1981 and 43 years old this year, Koizumi is the youngest among the nine candidates who declared their candidacy today and enjoys high public popularity due to his good looks.

Junichiro Koizumi, former Prime Minister of Japan.
Photo by Asia Economy DB

In South Korea, Koizumi is famous as the "FunCoolSexy Leftist." Shortly after becoming Minister of the Environment in September 2019, he made headlines at the United Nations Climate Action Summit by saying, "We need to tackle climate change in a Fun, Cool, and Sexy way." This remark became an internet meme in South Korea, earning him the nickname "FunCoolSexy Leftist." In polls asking about suitable candidates for prime minister, he is competing for first and second place with Shigeru Ishiba, former LDP Secretary-General, both garnering support in the 20% range. If elected as party leader this time, Koizumi would become the youngest prime minister in history, breaking the record set by Hirobumi Ito, who became prime minister at 44.

Meanwhile, the Sankei Shimbun reported, citing attendees, that on the previous day, former Prime Minister Koizumi shared with politicians who served as ministers during his tenure an evening conversation he had with his son about running in the leadership election. The elder Koizumi said, "He is an adult now, so I won't say much. Let him decide for himself." Shinjiro Koizumi reportedly just smiled without saying anything in response. Previously, the elder Koizumi was known to have discouraged his second son from running, saying, "He is still in his 40s, which is too early. He can think about it after turning 50."