Overview

• Takayuki Kobayashi, Toshimitsu Motegi, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Sanae Takaichi and Shinjiro Koizumi formally filed to run and held a joint press conference in Tokyo.
• Several contenders said they would seek to broaden the governing coalition before the prime ministerial selection in the upcoming extraordinary Diet session.
• Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he wants a successor who will carry forward his basic policies and declined to endorse a specific candidate.
• All five candidates signaled caution on early adoption of a selective separate-surname system, with proposals such as wider use of maiden-name aliases.
• The contest follows Ishiba’s decision to step down after party setbacks, with economic relief, coalition strategy and party rebuilding featuring as early themes.