Koichi Nakagawa, a newcomer from the Liberal Democratic Party, has secured his first election victory in Hokkaido's 11th district, defeating incumbent Kaori Ishikawa.
In Hokkaido's 11th district, Koichi Nakagawa, a 35-year-old newcomer from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has successfully secured his first election win, defeating the incumbent, 41-year-old Kaori Ishikawa, who was seeking her fourth term. Koichi is the grandson of the late Ichiro Nakagawa, a prominent figure in Japanese politics who once ran for the LDP presidency, and the nephew of Akira Nakagawa, a former finance minister who passed away in 2009.
The Nakagawa family has a strong political legacy, known as the 'Nakagawa Kingdom' in the Tokachi region. Koichi Nakagawa has inherited the political base that his family established over the decades. The political landscape changed when Akira's widow, former legislator Ikuko Nakagawa, decided not to run for office. Koichi was elected as the branch leader of the local LDP in June last year, positioning himself as a fresh candidate in a historical political context.
The Nakagawa family's influence has been significant, with Ikuko winning elections in 2012 and 2014, although the family faced challenges in recent elections, including three consecutive losses from 2017 onwards. Koichi's victory marks a rejuvenation of the family's political presence in the region, potentially influencing future political dynamics within Hokkaido and Japan at large, especially as he prepares for the upcoming national elections in February 2026.
