Overview

• JA Group Kyoto chair Yasuhiro Nakagawa denied receiving corporate benefits and confirmed a Sept. 25 review request to the National Tax Tribunal after reports that the Osaka Regional Taxation Bureau flagged around ¥8 billion in unreported income across related entities and imposed roughly ¥5 billion in additional taxes.
• Sanae Takaichi said in a YouTube program recorded Sept. 27 that she would not rule out policy talks with Sanseitō or the Japan Conservative Party to build a working majority if elected LDP leader, and Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Sept. 29 called broad policy outreach necessary.
• On-the-ground reporting from Tokyo described muted turnout and limited enthusiasm at LDP leadership campaign events, with candidates largely avoiding direct discussion of money-and-politics issues.
• In Okinawa’s Tonaki village mayoral race on Sept. 28, former mayor Suguru Tobaru won by 16 votes over incumbent Akira Higa, with turnout at 88.72%.
• An Okinawa Times survey of 39 Naha city council members (excluding the member in question) found 14 viewed Keiko Wada’s remarks about transgender people as problematic and 12 said the council should take action.