PRESS CONFERENCE
Taro Kono, Member of the House of Representatives, Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP)
15:00-16:00 Thursday, December 2, 2021
(The speech and Q & A will be in English)
"What's the next move for Taro Kono?"
Taro Kono, once considered something of a reformist in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), now heads the party's PR department. The new post is widely seen as a demotion for Kono, who has held major cabinet posts such as ministers of defense and foreign affairs - but he is making the most of the job.
Kono is revamping the party's outdated public relations system by promoting the use of social media, and he is launching a new "international desk" within the party, which will promote it overseas. That suits a politician who has long used Twitter very effectively.
Kono has also been an outspoken advocate of streamlining Japan's outdated political and administrative systems. His calls for reform range from scrapping Japan's long-standing dependence on nuclear power to overhauling the national pension system. He is one of the few politicians in the party who is willing to tackle these delicate and yet serious issues. His reformist stance became very popular among the general public in Japan, especially among the young, and he was until recently the top contender to become the party's president, and thus prime minister.
The party's elders, however, have grown cautious about Kono's idiosyncratic politics, and in spite of his popularity, Kono suffered a serious setback in the last presidential election to elect a successor to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in September. As expected, the party's roughly 1.1 million members overwhelmingly supported him, but most of the LDP's Diet members supported Fumio Kishida, resulting in Kishida's victory in the run-off vote.
Kono, who graduated from Georgetown University and speaks English fluently, has spoken at the FCCJ a number of times in the recent years. This is his first appearance since the presidential election. He will talk about how he plans to use social media to promote everything from vaccines to votes, and how Japan needs to shift media relations and public outreach into the 21st century. He may even discuss the prospects of another run for LDP president, and whether he will change his politics to draw more support from fellow Diet members of the party.
How to attend: Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Due to space restrictions attendance will be limited. Doors open 15 minutes before the event. Please sign in, giving your name and contact details at the reception, and have your temperature taken before proceeding.
How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
Livestreaming of the press events will be available and video of this event will be uploaded to our FCCJ YouTube channel.
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/aZ7FVrALtpGFJ6f7A
Members watching the event online can submit questions for the speakers in advance using this submission form.
TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event.
Professional Activities Committee