Two more names surfaced Thursday as candidates for the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election as economy minister Kaoru Yosano and former LDP policy chief Nobuteru Ishihara both indicated they were willing to run.
The shock of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's sudden resignation announcement Monday has already worn off in Tokyo's political battleground of Nagata-cho, and all eyes are now fixed on the Sept. 22 presidential election, which will automatically pick the next prime minister.
The LDP-New Komeito ruling coalition is also considering dissolving the Lower House in October for a general election in November, sources said Thursday.
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