Overview

• Official campaigning opened Sept. 22 with five candidates and an Oct. 4 vote using the full-scale method, with a runoff if no one wins a majority.
• Sanae Takaichi said she would support issuing deficit-covering government bonds if needed for growth measures, distinguishing herself from rivals cautious about new debt.
• Shinjiro Koizumi set a goal to lift average wages by ¥1 million by fiscal 2030, called for a 2025 supplementary budget, and proposed scrapping the provisional gasoline tax.
• Koizumi has visible backing from senior LDP figures including Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato, who leads his campaign, and former Foreign Minister Taro Kono.
• Candidates prioritize cost-of-living relief and stronger defense with progress toward the 2% of GDP target, while most voiced reservations about cutting the consumption tax.