Japan’s Ruling LDP Presidential Election Kicks Off: 5 Candidates Registered

The Yomiuri Shimbun

10:47 JST, September 22, 2025

The Liberal Democratic Party presidential election kicked off on Monday, with candidate registration opening at 10 a.m. Five candidates have declared their bids, starting a 12-day campaign period leading up to the Oct. 4 election day.

Candidate registration took place at LDP headquarters. Those who registered were: former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi; former LDP Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi; Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi; former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi; agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi.