Overview

• Five contenders formally filed as the campaign opened: Takayuki Kobayashi, Toshimitsu Motegi, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Sanae Takaichi, and Shinjiro Koizumi.
• Balloting on Oct. 4 will total 590 votes split evenly between lawmakers and party members, with a runoff between the top two if no one wins a majority.
• Party officials say eligible rank-and-file voters have fallen to about 910,000 from the previous contest, heightening the impact of energized local bases.
• Sanae Takaichi said an early dissolution of the Lower House is not on the table and prioritized Diet deliberations on measures to curb price pressures.
• Candidates opened with contrasting messages, from Kobayashi’s focus on working-age priorities and Motegi’s pledge to rebuild the party to Hayashi’s experience-driven change and Koizumi’s call for broader cooperation on key policies.