Could Kamikawa Yoko be Japan’s next prime minister?

Indeed, she has emerged as one of a handful of serious contenders to win the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) leadership vote in late September. Aso Taro, a party kingmaker, ignited such speculation by calling her a “rising star” late last year. By this spring, she had soared from relative anonymity to become one of voters’ three most popular choices for prime minister. Though her star has faded slightly, she remains among the top five in most polls. If chosen, she would become Japan’s first-ever female prime minister.