Overview

• Shinjiro Koizumi told supporters in Yokosuka he will run and plans a formal announcement next week in the contest triggered by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s resignation.
• The Liberal Democratic Party set the timetable with nominations on Sept. 22 and voting on Oct. 4 under a full-format ballot that includes party members.
• The likely field is five: Koizumi, Sanae Takaichi, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Toshimitsu Motegi—who has already declared—and Takayuki Kobayashi.
• A Kyodo News poll found 76.4% do not expect Ishiba’s exit to restore LDP trust, and ranked Takaichi first for next leader at 28.0%, followed by Koizumi at 22.5% and Hayashi at 11.4%.
• Separately, Kyoto Institute of Technology disclosed that personal data on 2,539 students and staff may have been accessible since 2011 due to a system flaw; the university reports no confirmed misuse and has apologized.