she was left wondering: “Why would such an earnest person want to go into politics?” Ms Unno was a leader among the green-tea farmers of Shizuoka prefecture; Ms Kamikawa was a think-tank researcher who wanted to enter parliament to represent the region Having graduated from the University of Tokyo and Harvard University long the domain of men from political families It took Ms Kamikawa seven years and two election cycles to win her first seat in Japan’s lower house This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Could the future be female?” Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents Ahead of the vote on May 3rd, politics has flipped The country is making it first big bet on semiconductors This one could be riskier than their last major crisis in 2019 After the Kashmir attack, military action is possible but comes with huge risks Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said Monday she had urged China to take steps to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens during talks with its top diplomat Wang Yi in New York The meeting took place following last week's fatal stabbing of a Japanese schoolboy in the Chinese city of Shenzhen Kamikawa also told reporters she had asked Beijing to provide in-depth information about the incident to Tokyo and crack down on anti-Japanese social network and other online postings immediately The Japanese minister emphasized the need for measures against such social media comments because they are "directly linked to the safety of children" and "totally intolerable." She added that China should make more efforts to remove obstacles hindering better exchanges between the two countries according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry Kamikawa quoted Wang as responding that what happened in Shenzhen was an "individual case that we also did not want to see" and that Chinese authorities will handle it in line with the law Wang told Kamikawa that China will continue to protect all foreign citizens in China living there and urged Tokyo take a "calm and rational approach to the case instead of politicizing and amplifying" it Referring to hostile and inflammatory social media posts the ministry's spokesman Lin Jian reiterated at a press conference Tuesday that China "does not teach its people to hate Japan." Many Chinese people laid flowers outside the Shenzhen school to mourn the boy expressing opposition to violence and calling for everlasting friendship between the peoples of the two countries "We noted that some in Japan may be connecting this individual case with the so-called anti-Japan comments on Chinese social network and they have been magnifying and hyping up the safety risks Such remarks are not consistent with the facts," Lin said whose father is Japanese and mother Chinese died Thursday after he was stabbed on his way to a Japanese school in the southern Chinese city the day before with a male suspect detained by police at the scene Japanese Senior Vice Foreign Minister Yoshifumi Tsuge strongly urged China to take concrete steps to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens during talks with its Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong conveyed Japan's "serious concern" about China's recent military activities such as the first-ever intrusion by a Chinese military plane into Japanese airspace in August Meeting for nearly one hour on the sidelines of the U.N General Assembly's annual high-level sessions she said Japan wants to hear from China in detail about the intrusion as soon as possible included the two governments' agreement Friday on the gradual lifting of China's ban on Japanese marine products The ban has been imposed since treated radioactive water from Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant began to be released into the sea in August last year Japan will carry out additional monitoring of the water at an early date and make tangible progress toward the complete lifting of the ban Wang stressed that it is natural for China to oppose the ocean discharge of "nuclear-contaminated water." Japan should uphold its commitment to long-term international monitoring arrangements and independent sampling by stakeholders and "refrain from muddying the issue," he was quoted as saying by his ministry Kamikawa's trip to New York was a whirlwind one as she is running in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election on Friday to pick the successor to outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Japan official urges China to ensure expat safety after boy killing Japan, China top diplomats to meet over boy's killing China police believe stabbing of Japanese boy isolated incident To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible Metrics details To investigate the short-term clinical efficacy of laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy with modified Kamikawa anastomosis and laparoscopic total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis The clinicopathological data of 268 patients who underwent laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy for adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction and upper gastric adenocarcinoma from January 2016 to October 2022 were collected 26 underwent laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy with modified Kamikawa anastomosis were assigned to Kamikawa group and 242 underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis were assigned to Roux-en-Y group and pathological stage of patients in the Kamikawa group and the Roux-en-Y group were subjected to 1:1 propensity score matching 16 patients in Kamikawa group and Roux-en-Y group were respectively included in this study Outcome measures: (1) Intraoperative condition reflux esophagitis and anastomotic stoma were investigated by outpatient and telephone follow-up Nutritional status assessment comprising body mass index and Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 score All patients successfully underwent laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy and total gastrectomy the digestive tract reconstruction time in Kamikawa group was longer 93.0(74.0–111.0)min vs and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05) There was no statistically significant difference in total operation time and intraoperative blood loss (P > 0.05) There was no statistically significant difference between Kamikawa group and Roux-en-Y group in first anal exhaust time and postoperative complications (P > 0.05) BMI and NRS 2002 scores in Kamikawa group were better than those in Roux-en-Y group at 6 and 12 months after surgery 22.9 ± 3.0 kg/m2 vs the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05) There was no significant difference in GERD scale score and occurrence of ≥ Grade B reflux esophagitis at 6 and 12 months after surgery between Kamikawa group and Roux-en-Y group (P > 0.05) Anastomotic stenosis was not found in all patients by postoperative upper gastrointestinal angiography Laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy with modified Kamikawa anastomosis is safe and feasible for the treatment of esophagogastric junction and upper gastric adenocarcinoma compared with traditional laparoscopic total gastrectomy its postoperative nutritional status is better Kamikawa reported a novel method of digestive tract reconstruction using esophagogastric anastomosis with the double-flap technique traditional Kamikawa anastomosis has been further modified to reduce operational difficulty and shorten the surgical duration while preserving the anti-reflux effect While studies have compared the double-tract reconstruction of LPG with traditional LTG there have been few reports comparing Kamikawa anastomosis in LPG with LTG this study retrospectively analysed the clinical and pathological data of 268 patients with cancer of the esophagogastric junction or upper part of the stomach admitted to our centre between January 2016 and October 2022 We explored the short-term clinical efficacy of modified Kamikawa anastomosis in LPG and Roux-en-Y in LTG This was a retrospective cohort study of the clinical and pathological data of patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction or upper part of the stomach who were admitted to our centre between January 2016 and October 2022 Among the initial 268 patients identified in our medical records 26 had undergone LPG with modified Kamikawa anastomosis and the remaining 242 had undergone LTG with Roux-en-Y anastomosis Inclusion criteria: (1) Patients diagnosed with cancer of the esophagogastric junction or upper part of the stomach by preoperative pathological examination of gastroscopy biopsy samples; (2) Patients at clinical stage cT1-2N0M0 after preoperative enhanced computed tomography (CT) and endoscopic ultrasonography; (3) Patients without preoperative distant metastasis; and (4) Patients with no history of abdominal surgery Exclusion criteria: (1) Patients receiving preoperative neoadjuvant therapy; (2) Patients with severe cardiopulmonary dysfunction or poor nutritional status who showed poor tolerance to surgery; (3) Patients with concomitant malignant tumours; and (4) Patients with incomplete clinical and pathological data The same group of surgeons performed all surgeries in this study Under intravenous and inhaled general anaesthesia patients were placed in the supine split-leg position with the head slightly raised The surgical site was routinely disinfected The surgeon stood on the left side of the patient the surgical assistant on the right and the laparoscope holder between the patient's legs a 12 mm trocar was placed under the umbilicus as the observation port from which pneumoperitoneum was established with pressure maintained at 12–15 mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) a 12 mm trocar was placed 2 cm below the costal margin of the left anterior axillary line and a 5 mm trocar was placed 2 cm above the level of the umbilicus at the left midclavicular line to establish the operating ports 5 mm trocars were placed at corresponding sites on the right side Laparoscopic exploration was performed to identify the tumour location degree of infiltration and relationship with surrounding organ tissue we performed proximal gastric dissociation and D1 + lymph node dissection Splenic lymph node dissection was performed when there was splenic lymph node enlargement but was not conducted routinely An 'I'-shaped mark [(2.5–3) cm × 3.5 cm] was marked with gentian violet on the anterior wall of the gastric remnant (approximately 1.5 cm from the upper incisal margin) near the lesser curvature of stomach to match the width of the seromuscular flap with the oesophageal diameter; the upper edge of the seromuscular flap must be parallel to the incisal margin of the upper end of the gastric remnant. The muscle flap should be vertically pulled upwards by the assistant to create tension, followed by separation by the surgeon using an electrotome to ensure the complete separation of the submucosa and muscle layer. The lower segment of the oesophagus, marked with gentian violet, was continuously sutured and fixed to the upper edge of the seromuscular flap using a 3–0 5/8 curved endoscopic suture. The posterior wall of the oesophageal stump opening and the upper edge of the anastomotic stoma were intermittently sutured with two sutures on the left and middle for fixation. The entire layer of the posterior wall of the oesophageal stump was then continuously sutured with the gastric mucosa and submucosa at the upper edge of the anastomotic stoma using a 3–0 barbed suture from left to right until the right edge. The entire anterior wall of the oesophageal stump was then continuously sutured with the entire stomach layer at the lower edge of the anastomotic stoma using another 3–0 barbed suture from left to right until the right edge. Another suture from the right side to the intersection point of bilateral seromuscular flaps was placed using the reserved barbed suture, followed by sutures for the seromuscular flap at the anastomotic stoma and the left oesophageal 'Y' -shaped edge upwards. While the anastomotic stoma was being covered the renconstruction of modified Kamikawa anastomsis was completed The outcome measures were: (1) Intraoperative data intraoperative blood loss volume and digestive tract reconstruction duration; (2) Postoperative recovery period measured as the time to first postoperative anal exhaust the time to first postoperative liquid food intake and the length of the postoperative hospital stay; (3) Postoperative complications including intestinal obstructions anastomotic fistula and pulmonary infections; (4) Follow-up data presence of reflux esophagitis at follow-up appointments and anastomotic condition determined using upper gastrointestinal angiography All patients were followed up after discharge to assess their nutritional status reflux esophagitis and anastomotic site status Follow-ups were performed at outpatient visits telephone consultations and/or online using WeChat Each patient was followed up for at least 12 months We gathered follow-up data from the records up to October 2023 Normally distributed data were expressed as x ± s and analysed using t-tests for inter-group comparisons Data with skewed distributions were expressed as M (range) and inter-group comparisons were analysed using Mann–Whitney U tests Count data were expressed as absolute numbers and inter-group comparisons were made using X2 or Fisher's exact tests The P-values of < 0.05 were considered statistically significant This study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University The requirement for informed consent was waived by the Ethics Committee considering the retrospective design of the study All analysis were done in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations All of the LPG and LTG performed were successfully completed. As shown in Table 3 the digestive tract reconstruction times in the Kamikawa group and Roux-en-Y group patients were 93.0 (74.0–111.0) min and 39.7 (35.1–46.2) min The between-group difference in these times was statistically significant (P < 0.05) The mean surgery durations for the Kamikawa group and the Roux-en-Y group were 195.9 (± 25.0) min and 228.3 (± 59.8) min with no significant difference between the two groups The intraoperative blood loss volumes were 22.0 (16.0–27.0) mL and 23.0 (11.0–48.0) mL The time to first postoperative anal exhaust, time to first postoperative liquid food intake and length of postoperative hospital stay were 2.0 (1.0–3.0) d, 4.0 (3.0–5.0) d and 9.0 (8.0–10.0) d in the Kamikawa group and 2.0 (1.0–5.0) d, 3.5 (2.0–6.0) d and 9.0 (7.0–12.0) d in the Roux-en-Y group (Table 4) No statistically significant differences were found between the groups (all P > 0.05) The incidence of postoperative complications in the Kamikawa group included one case of intestinal obstruction the Roux-en-Y group had one case of postoperative intestinal obstruction and one case of pulmonary infection No statistically significant differences in these indicators between the two groups were detected (all P > 0.05) The patient in the Kamikawa group who developed anastomotic stenosis during the perioperative period improved after one cycle of endoscopic balloon dilation (15 mm All other postoperative complications in both groups improved after conservative treatment All patients were followed up 6 and 12 months after surgery. Table 5 shows the follow-up data for the two groups The mean BMI at 6 and 12 months were 22.9 (± 3.0) kg/m2 and 20.8 (± 2.2) kg/m2 in the Kamikawa group and 23.1 (± 3.0) kg/m2 and 20.3 (± 2.2) kg/m2 in the Roux-en-Y group The NRS 2002 scores at 6 and 12 months after surgery were 2 (1–2) points and 2 (1–3) points the scores were also 2 (1–2) points at 6 months and 2 (1–3) points at 12 months after surgery the between-group difference in above data was statistically significant (P < 0.05) the GERD scale scores at 6 and 12 months were 3 (2–4) points and 3 (2–4) points there was one case of ≥ grade B reflux esophagitis in the Kamikawa group and two cases in the Roux-en-Y group The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant differences between groups No anastomotic stenosis was found on postoperative upper gastrointestinal angiography in any of the patients Constructing a seromuscular flap to cover the lower oesophagus and anastomotic site increases the pressure on both sites thereby achieving the desired anti-reflux effect which is then covered by a seromuscular flap reducing the risk of postoperative anastomotic leakage The procedure also carries a cost-saving benefit as the anastomotic orifice made during Kamikawa anastomosis is sutured manually the procedure is more complicated than conventional digestive tract reconstruction methods requiring longer surgical durations and greater skill on the part of the surgeon particularly in the endoscopically-guided suture technique improper seromuscular flap preparation can potentially induce ischemia of the flap and stenosis of the anastomotic site the popularity of this surgical technique is somewhat limited To address some of the issues with this technique without reducing the anti-reflux effect or the extent of resection our centre has made certain modifications to Kamikawa anastomosis Our centre's approach to Kamikawa anastomosis incorporates the following modifications we dissociate the left outer lobe of the liver for flipping and suspension to reduce obstructions and improve the extent of the operative field This modification is simple and easily applied and does not impose any trauma on the liver the width of the I-shaped seromuscular flap is changed to 2.5–3 cm to match the oesophageal stump opening reducing the risk of postoperative anastomotic stenosis the I-shaped upper edge of the seromuscular flap is made parallel to the cutting edge of the upper end of the gastric stump bringing the flap closer to the lesser curvature of the stomach with good blood supply This improves the blood flow to the flap and ensures that it performs the required anti-reflux function the posterior wall of the oesophageal stump opening and the upper edge of the seromuscular flap are intermittently sutured with two stitches beginning on the right side and the middle for fixation facilitating subsequent continuous suturing continuous suturing of the posterior wall of the oesophageal stump anastomotic site and seromuscular flap using barbed sutures avoids the need for slower intermittent sutures and reduces surgical time the modified technique creates a large false fornix of the gastric fundus on the left side of the oesophagus to achieve a better anti-reflux effect In cases of excess suture tension of the seromuscular flap the flap can be directly sutured to the same side of the oesophageal wall to reduce such tension and prevent postoperative anastomotic stenosis similar rates of oesophageal reflux during follow-up were observed in both groups of patients indicating that the artificial anti-reflux structure constructed during modified Kamikawa anastomosis has an effective anti-reflux effect while allowing continued food intake During digestive tract reconstruction in LPG our centre has attempted various other reconstruction methods including oesophageal-tubular gastric anastomosis dual-channel anastomosis and side-overlap anastomosis we intend to compare the clinical efficacy of these other digestive tract reconstructions in LPG with both one another and the Roux-en-Y anastomosis method our sample was relatively small owing to the relatively small number of patients with early gastric cancer in the upper part of the stomach in China and the limited number of patients among this population who are suitable for LPG our centre routinely used Roux-en-Y anastomosis in LTG for early gastric cancer located in the upper part of the stomach Since we have only been using the Kamikawa approach for a short while there was a shorter follow-up period on record for the patients in the Kamikawa group Longer follow-up is needed in future research to evaluate the long-term clinical efficacy nutritional status and survival outcomes of the two surgical methods so our findings should be generalised cautiously Future multi-centre prospective clinical studies are needed to validate our findings and evaluate related surgical approaches for early gastric cancer located in the upper part of the stomach modified Kamikawa anastomosis in LPG is safe and feasible for application to early gastric cancer located in the upper part of the stomach Its postoperative efficacy is comparable to that of Roux-en-Y anastomosis in LTG with the additional advantage of maintaining better postoperative nutritional status in patients The datasets generated or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request Cancer incidence and mortality worldwide: Sources methods and major patterns in GLOBOCAN 2012 Morbidity and mortality of laparoscopic vs open total gastrectomy for clinical stage I gastric cancer: The CLASS02 multicenter randomized clinical trial Single-arm confirmatory trial of laparoscopy-assisted total or proximal gastrectomy with nodal dissection for clinical stage I gastric cancer: Japan Clinical Oncology Group study JCOG1401 A feasibility study of laparoscopic total gastrectomy for clinical stage I gastric cancer: A prospective multi-center phase II clinical trial The Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO): Clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer Proximal versus total gastrectomy for proximal early gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis Nutritional risk screening (NRS 2002): A new method based on an analysis of controlled clinical trials Endoscopic assessment of oesophagitis: Clinical and functional correlates and further validation of the Los Angeles classification Impact of jejunal pouch interposition reconstruction after proximal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer on quality of life: Short-and long-term consequences Gastric tube reconstruction prevented esophageal reflux after proximal gastrectomy Long-term (11 + years) efficacy of sleeve gastrectomy as a stand-alone bariatric procedure: A single-center retrospective observational study Multicenter retrospective study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the double-flap technique as antireflux esophagogastrostomy after proximal gastrectomy (rD-FLAP Study) Laparoscopy-assisted proximal gastrectomy with the hinged double flap method Double-flap technique as an antireflux procedure in esophagogastrostomy after proximal gastrectomy Surgical outcomes and risk assessment for anastomotic complications after laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy with double-flap technique for upper-third gastric cancer Laparoscopic double-tract proximal gastrectomy for proximal early gastric cancer Comparison of perioperative and long-term outcomes of total and proximal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer: A multi-institutional retrospective study Laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy maintains body weight and skeletal muscle better than total gastrectomy Laparoscopy-assisted proximal gastrectomy with double tract anastomosis is beneficial for vitamin B12 and iron absorption Postoperative nutritional outcomes and quality of life-related complications of proximal versus total gastrectomy for upper-third early gastric cancer: a meta-analysis Download references This work was supported by Fujian Medical University Sailing Fund General Project (2022QH1117) and Key Clinical Specialty Discipline Construction Program of Fujian P.R.C (Fujian Health Medicine and Politics 2022884) These authors contributed equally: Chu-Ying Wu and Qiao-Zhen Huang The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University The authors declare no competing interests Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-68514-4 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Cancer newsletter — what matters in cancer research But speculation about his resignation has been rife for a while Kishida cited the need for him as leader of the party to take responsibility placing great emphasis on “change” and “recovering trust and support from the public” He spoke about the need to “show that the LDP has changed and [his] decision … is the first sign … that the LDP is changing” the race for Japanese leadership is wide open bought him no respite and the party has been reeling The next general elections must be held by the third quarter of 2025 which gives the next prime minister about a year to regain public confidence If a new top leader manages to recapture some popularity with the public a snap election may also be called while the opposition parties in Japan remain weak What might constitute a big change for the conservative LDP and Japanese politics And who could represent a new and reformed LDP The election of Japan’s first-ever female prime minister could certainly be a huge step forward in Japanese politics that is largely male-dominated Emerging among the potential candidates for LDP leadership are Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa Takaichi, who has already signalled her intention to run for the top office, is known for her right-wing views on security issues. In fact, she was among three cabinet ministers who visited the controversial Yasukuni shrine on 15 August the anniversary of the end of the Second World War and a day after Kishida’s surprise announcement The visit is seen as a bid to shore up conservative support within the ruling party The election of a trailblazing female prime minister could galvanise the public in the short term especially if the LDP can positively reposition itself as a reformed party that is forward-looking and future-focused – in a similar manner to US Vice President Kamala Harris who has re-energised and instilled hope in the Democratic ticket ahead of the upcoming US presidential election Prime Minister Kishida has not endorsed a successor electing a women to the top job would a challenge to Japan’s conservative political climate As a member of the now-disbanded faction headed by Kishida, it would have been difficult for Kamikawa to express any ambition to run for the top office before he stepped down. This could change if Kishida decides to throw his support behind her. To avoid defeat at the next general elections, it is important that the LDP picks someone who is not connected to the corruption scandals. Despite scrutiny over a gender stereotyping comment Kamikawa’s reputation has largely remained untainted by political scandals and this clean image could be an asset to the LDP in restoring public trust electing a woman to the top job would be a challenge in Japan’s conservative political climate and it’s an open question whether radical reforms would ultimately be pursued Other potential candidates include former Defence Minister Ishiba Shigeru, who has polled favourably as the public’s top choice to be the next prime minister; former Foreign Minister Taro Kono; and the younger Shinjiro Koizumi a former Environment Minister and the son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Contenders would first need to get the support of 20 lawmakers to recommend them to office As this is the first leadership election since most of the LDP’s factions dissolved it is difficult to predict how the lawmakers might vote On the international front, continuity in terms of foreign and defence policies is expected The Kishida administration has been viewed as effective in bolstering Japan’s international standing and there are no incentives for any LDP successor to move away from the current foreign policy directions Rather than foreign policies, leadership debates in the coming weeks will likely focus on the domestic agendas that Kishida struggled with, with reinvigorating the Japanese economy and tackling inflation at the crux. Public discontent has risen over day-to-day issues such as higher living costs, a weakened yen, and real wages decline All this contributed to his plummeting support a fresh start for the floundering LDP and Kishida’s successor will not come easy He or she will continue to face an uphill battle to recover public support in the long term The Interpreter features in-depth analysis & expert commentary on the latest international events, published daily by the Lowy Institute Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa announced a last-minute bid Wednesday for the presidency of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to succeed Prime Minister Fumio Kishida aiming to become the country's first female leader The presidential race will take place following Kishida's announcement that he will not seek reelection as LDP leader taking responsibility for a slush funds scandal late last year that has significantly eroded public trust Just a day before the start of official campaigning said she has managed to secure recommendations from 20 LDP lawmakers the requirement for running in the party's Sept I will build a new Japan." The seventh-term House of Representatives member became Japan's first female foreign minister in around two decades in September last year Among the eight other candidates who had already announced their bids for the presidential election that will determine the next prime minister currently serving as economic security minister had been viewed as another potential female candidate but she said she will not join the race and instead back former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi also told reporters that he has given up on running in the presidential race an extraordinary parliamentary session to appoint the new prime minister is expected to be convened on Oct The schedule would allow the next leader to call a general election Oct 27 at the earliest after dissolving the lower house 14 after being elected as LDP president on Sept Ex-health chief Kato announces bid to lead Japan ruling party Conservative Takaichi makes 2nd bid in Japan ruling party chief race Japan main opposition party begins leadership race, eyes gov't change Digital Minister Taro Kono is set to announce his candidacy for next month's ruling Liberal Democratic Party leadership election while Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa has also informed Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of her intention to run Around 10 other LDP members have also expressed interest in becoming Japan's next leader following Kishida's sudden announcement that he will not seek reelection including former Economic Security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi who is expected to announce his candidacy at a press conference on Monday The Japanese prime minister is elected by lawmakers and the LDP-led ruling coalition holds a majority in both chambers of parliament a social media-savvy and reform-minded maverick has told LDP Vice President Taro Aso about his intention and is expected to make a formal announcement after the election schedule is decided on Tuesday Kono belongs to the LDP faction led by Aso Kono's entry into the race would mark his third attempt to become LDP leader following his previous bid in the 2021 election He has been gathering endorsements from party members outside his faction to build broader support posted on her official X account Saturday that she had conveyed her intentions to the prime minister in the afternoon The post was accompanied by a photo of herself calling for support over the phone Kobayashi vowed to "transform the LDP into an organization where people are appointed based on ability and experience rather than using majority power to sway personnel and financial decisions." Former members of the disbanded Kishida faction are set to meet on Tuesday to discuss supporting Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi The period of official campaigning for the LDP presidency is most likely to begin on Sept and former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi are also possible contenders Kishida to attend U.N. debate in New York in September before stepping down Japan ruling party looks to elect Kishida's successor on Sept. 27 Battle to replace Kishida as Japan PM kicks off Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said Sunday that she has received support from over 20 lawmakers to run in the Sept 27 presidential election of the ruling party to choose a successor to outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been regarded as one of the frontrunners to become Japan's first female prime minister since her appointment as the nation's top diplomat in September 2023 She was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party's faction formerly led by Kishida who was also a member of the Kishida faction adding that the top government spokesman is considering formally announcing his bid as early as Tuesday The presidential race will take place after Kishida's sudden announcement that he will not seek reelection as LDP leader taking responsibility for a slush funds scandal unveiled late last year that has significantly eroded public trust in politics While the political funds scandal has driven support rates down for the ruling party expectations are growing that the new LDP leader may dissolve the House of Representatives for a snap election shortly after becoming prime minister more than 10 LDP lawmakers have expressed their willingness to enter the leadership race with former Economic Security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi and former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba a candidate must be recommended by at least 20 LDP lawmakers Ex-defense chief Ishiba says to run for Japan ruling party president Ex-main opposition CDPJ chief Edano eyes comeback in leadership race Japan ruling party chief vote set for Sept. 27 to replace Kishida To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox, subscribe here. Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription. Please check your inbox for a confirmation email. If you wish to change your message, press 'Cancel' to go back and edit. Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible. Your Ads Privacy ChoicesIMDb Global Climate Agreements: Successes and Failures How Tobacco Laws Could Help Close the Racial Gap on Cancer Could Trump’s Tariffs Replace Income Tax for the Bottom 90% Peter McColough Series on International Economics With Robert E Thursday, September 12, marks the official start of the campaign for president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). September has brought six more candidates to the race creating the largest field of candidates in the party’s history and all have governing experience in the Cabinet Three are currently serving in the Kishida Cabinet.  For the next two weeks, party debates will be organized, stump speeches will proliferate, and social media will be in full campaign throttle. Some have presented formal policy statements, all of which are available on the party’s website but so too will the less predictable variable—who can regain public trust and persuade Japan’s voters that the LDP can change Five of the nine candidates are first-time candidates for their party’s highest office LDP grassroots members and legislators will choose their next leader on September 27 and whether s/he can lead them to victory in the next general election Two have been the party’s Secretary-General—Ishiba and Motegi have led their party during national elections Three have chaired the LDP’s Policy Research Council which is responsible for drafting the party’s policy platform consistently emerged as the most popular in media polling.  Insights and analysis from CFR fellows on the latest developments across Asia. Monthly A summary of global news developments with CFR analysis delivered to your inbox each morning. Weekdays CFR President Mike Froman analyzes the most important foreign policy story of the week get the latest news and insights from the Council’s experts is not far behind in fourth place with 11% The NHK poll is based on a random public survey with 1,220 respondents; the second was sent by Reuters to 506 companies here are the final six candidates for the LDP presidency Hayashi Yoshimasa, the current Chief Cabinet Secretary in the Kishida Cabinet, announced his candidacy on September 3 Sixty-three-year-old Hayashi has represented Yamaguchi Prefecture for almost thirty years His governance experience is extensive: he has served in six Cabinets with portfolios in Defense; Economic and Fiscal Policy; Agriculture he has developed governance reforms for the tax system Hayashi served as the chair of the Japan-China Parliamentary Friendship Association This is Hayashi’s second time to run for the LDP presidency Motegi Toshimitsu, the current Secretary-General of the LDP, announced his candidacy on September 4. Motegi is a ten-term member of the House of Representatives from Tochigi prefecture He has considerable governing experience and served as Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories and Science and Technology Policy; Minister in Charge of Financial Services and Administrative Reform; and Minister for Economy and Industry; Minister for Economic Revitalization and State Minister for Economic and Fiscal Policy Motegi has led Japan’s finalization of the CPTPP as well as negotiated with the Trump Administration on a bilateral trade agreement he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs under Prime Ministers Abe Motegi has also had party leadership posts including the Policy Research Council and as Secretary General since 2021 He received a master’s degree from Harvard University’s JFK School of Government and worked at McKinsey and Company for eight years before running for the Japanese Diet.    this is Motegi’s first attempt at the party presidency Motegi had his own faction within the party but dissolved it in April after a bruising party deliberation about how factional dynamics hobbled reform At forty-three, Koizumi Shinjiro is the youngest contender for LDP leadership. He announced his candidacy on September 6 delayed due to the typhoon that made landfall in Japan Since becoming a member of the House of Representatives in 2009 Koizumi has gained considerable popularity among LDP members and the public Older LDP candidates have often asked “Shinjiro” to campaign alongside them in elections to enhance their appeal with women and younger voters The charismatic son of former Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro represents district eleven in Kanagawa prefecture home to Japan’s largest naval base and homeport of the U.S Koizumi served as Minister of Environment in the Abe and Suga Cabinets he had worked on the reconstruction of the damaged Tohoku region after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. In the party Koizumi led the party’s youth caucus from 2011 and built a volunteer effort to northern Japan to help young legislators understand the needs of disaster recovery. Koizumi attended Columbia University in New York for his master’s degree Center for Strategic and International Studies.   Koizumi led a delegation of LDP “next generation” politicians to Washington in 2019, where he spoke on Japan’s future challenges This is his first run for the party presidency.  Takaichi Sanae is currently the Minister of State for Economic Security in the Kishida Cabinet, and she is running for the LDP presidency for the second time and she was a strong proponent of strengthening Japan’s defense capabilities and of integrating the deterrence capabilities of the U.S She served in several Cabinets under former prime minister Abe with portfolios for Okinawa and Northern Territories and Internal Affairs and Communications sixty-three-year-old Takaichi was strongly supported in her last leadership bid by former prime minister Abe Shinzo Takaichi has become a leading conservative in the party—advocating for robust military power revision of Article 9 of Japan’s Constitution prime ministerial visits to Yasukuni Shrine and opposing social change on issues such as same-sex marriage and differing surnames by married couples Takaichi is a graduate of the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management House of Representatives in the office of Patricia Schroeder (D Takaichi served as head of the Policy Research Council from 2021 and is credited with formalizing the party’s goal of raising defense spending to 2% of GDP a goal that Prime Minister Kishida then adopted as national policy in his 2022 strategic review Sixty-eight-year-old Katō Katsunobu was elected in 2003 from Okayama prefecture. On September 10, Katō announced his candidacy He served as Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary when Abe Shinzo returned to the Prime Minister’s office in 2012 Prime Minister Kishida asked him to return to that post in 2022 Katō thus had responsibility for Japan’s COVID-19 response Katō became Chief Cabinet Secretary.  Katō was the Chairman of the General Council in 2019 and then in 2021 chaired the Social Security Research Commission In 2023 he took on leadership of the party effort to implement revision of the Constitution This is his first run in the LDP presidential race Japan’s current Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kamikawa Yokō, was the last to join the leadership race, announcing her candidacy on September 11 Seventy-one-year-old Kamikawa is serving her seventh term as a member of the House of Representatives from Shizuoka prefecture Her first Cabinet position was as Minister of State for Gender Equality and Social Affairs in 2006 under Abe Shinzo Subsequent governance posts include Minister of Public Records Management and National Archives State Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Kamikawa has a master’s in public policy degree from Harvard University’s JFK School of Government including the promotion of women’s political participation and the Commission on the Judiciary and Welfare in the House of Representatives This is Kamikawa’s first time to enter the race for LDP president.