Race to succeed Shigeru Ishiba: Who will be Japan's next PM? A look at the frontrunners

With Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stepping down, the Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership contest has already drawn some of its most recognisable figures into the spotlight. Former foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi was the first to formally declare his candidacy. Speaking to reporters, he said, “The LDP is facing its worst crisis since its founding. We must unite quickly to tackle our serious challenges at home and abroad and move the country forward.”

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi also intends to run, according to a government source cited by Reuters, adding to what could be a crowded field.

The two figures seen as leading the pack are Sanae Takaichi and Shinjiro Koizumi, who both placed strongly in last year’s leadership contest behind Ishiba.

Takaichi, 64, is a veteran conservative with a long record in cabinet posts. If chosen, she would become Japan’s first female prime minister. She is known for advocating revisions to Japan’s pacifist postwar constitution and for her frequent visits to the Yasukuni shrine, which some of Japan’s Asian neighbours regard as a reminder of past militarism. Takaichi has been outspoken in her criticism of Bank of Japan interest rate hikes and has pushed for increased spending to strengthen the fragile economy.