Campaigning for the Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership race officially kicked off Thursday with a record nine candidates, each with their own vision for the country’s economy, security and demographic challenges.
Among the presidential hopefuls — who consist of younger lawmakers as well as experienced veterans — two candidates have emerged as front-runners: former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.
Despite a general decline in the LDP’s support due to a large-scale political funds scandal, Ishiba and Koizumi have remained surprisingly popular with the public. While they have distanced themselves from the incumbent administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, their recognition among the electorate has stayed high.
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