Vaccine chief Kono popular favorite to become Japan’s leader

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Public opinion polls show Japan’s outspoken Cabinet minister in charge of vaccinations, Taro Kono, has the most popular support to become the country’s next leader. Current Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s sudden announcement last week that he will not seek another term as head of the governing Liberal Democratic Party opened the way for an array of candidates. Parliament normally elects the head of the governing party as prime minister because the ruling coalition holds a majority of seats. Suga, who took office a year ago, has faced nosediving popularity over his government’s coronavirus response. Fifty-eight-year-old Kono, a graduate of Georgetown University and fluent in English, is a rarity in Japanese politics, which are dominated by elderly men.