Overview

• The contest was formally announced on September 22, with the new leader to be chosen on October 4 through 295 lawmaker votes and 295 party member votes, with a runoff possible.
• Declared and expected contenders include Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, and former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi, for a field of five.
• Cost-of-living relief dominates the policy debate, featuring ideas such as refundable tax credits, raising income thresholds that limit benefits, and creating a new living support grant.
• With the party now short of majorities in both chambers, candidates are outlining approaches to coalition building and parliamentary management.
• Hayashi faced pushback after calling the prime minister’s resignation “inevitable” and questioning a flat 20,000‑yen payment pledge, then retracted the remark and apologized.