Overview

• Formal campaigning began on Sept. 22 for the Oct. 4 Liberal Democratic Party vote, with Shinjiro Koizumi and Sanae Takaichi leading a field that also includes Yoshimasa Hayashi, Toshimitsu Motegi and Takayuki Kobayashi.
• Takaichi said on Sept. 23 she would support issuing deficit-covering government bonds if necessary to fund growth measures, distinguishing her from rivals wary of adding to Japan’s debt.
• Koizumi pledged to raise average wages by ¥1 million by fiscal 2030, submit a supplementary budget to cushion price pressures, and move to abolish the provisional gasoline tax.
• The election uses the LDP’s full-scale method: 295 lawmaker votes and 295 votes from party members, with a runoff between the top two if no one wins a majority in the first round.
• Although the party leader is likely to be tapped as prime minister, the LDP-Komeito bloc lacks a working majority, so the new leader will need cooperation from opposition parties to form a government and pass legislation.