Japan's ruling LDP to elect new leader as PM hopeful in likely 3-way race

Among five candidates, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi and former internal affairs minister Sanae Takaichi have emerged as the leading contenders to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba as LDP president.

No candidate appears certain of winning a majority in the first round, which involves 295 votes from LDP lawmakers and another 295 based on the preferences of rank-and-file members holding Japanese nationality who have paid membership fees over the past two years.

If no candidate secures more than half the votes, a runoff will be held between the top two contenders later Saturday. In last year's leadership election, Ishiba trailed Takaichi in the first round but prevailed in the runoff.

While Takaichi, 64, is the leading choice among the public as she seeks to become Japan's first female prime minister, Koizumi, 44, son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, enjoys the strongest support among fellow lawmakers, according to recent media polls.

Takaichi, known as a staunch conservative, and Koizumi, who could become Japan's youngest postwar leader, were seen as early frontrunners, but Hayashi, 64, a dovish moderate with extensive ministerial experience, is now quickly closing the gap.

The other contenders are former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi and former Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. Like Hayashi, both graduated from the prestigious University of Tokyo and earned a master's degree from Harvard University.

Earlier, it was reported that Japan will choose its next prime minister possibly on October 15.