Toshimitsu Motegi, the secretary general of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), is set to officially announce his decision to run for the party’s presidency. This announcement will be made at a press conference on September 4th, followed by a statement of his policies on the following day.
Motegi, who is 68 years old, met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday to inform him of his intention to run. After their meeting, Motegi spoke with reporters and stated, “I expressed my thoughts to the prime minister.”
Having been elected ten times as a member of the House of Representatives from Tochigi Constituency No. 5, Motegi has an extensive political background. He has previously served as foreign minister and held positions in various ministries such as economy, trade and industry. Since November 2021, he has been serving as the LDP’s secretary general and leads a faction consisting of around 40 members that focuses on policy matters.
Another potential candidate for LDP presidency is Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi. The 63-year-old Hayashi announced his intention to hold a press conference on September 3rd where he will declare his candidacy. In response to questions from reporters in the Diet on Thursday, Hayashi emphasized that someone needs to take responsibility and fulfill this role.
Additionally, Sanae Takaichi, who currently serves as economic security minister in Japan’s government administration office also plans to join the race for LDP presidency. Her office announced that she will hold a press conference in the Diet on September 9th where she will formally declare her candidacy.
These announcements mark an important step towards determining who will lead Japan’s ruling party going forward.