The Nikkei published on the 28th the results of a public opinion poll showing that among candidates for the president of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), former Minister for Economic Security Sanae Takaichi and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Shinjiro Koizumi are leading in approval ratings.
The poll, jointly conducted by the Nikkei and TV Tokyo from the 26th to the 28th, indicates that in this LDP presidential election, Sanae Takaichi enjoys an approval rating of 34%, ranking first; Shinjiro Koizumi has an approval rating of 25%, ranking second; and current Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi stands at 14%, in third place.
On the 27th and 28th, Kyodo News conducted a telephone survey targeting LDP supporters, which also found the top three candidates in terms of approval ratings to be Sanae Takaichi, Shinjiro Koizumi, and Yoshimasa Hayashi in that order.
According to Kyodo News, Koizumi holds an advantage in parliamentary member votes, while Takaichi shows a trend of receiving more support in local votes.
Kyodo News also reports that in the first round of voting, it is highly likely that no one will secure more than half of the votes, meaning the top two candidates will enter a runoff round. Since nearly 20% of LDP-affiliated members of parliament have yet to state their support, the race remains unpredicted.
The LDP presidential election vote will take place on October 4th, and barring any surprises, the winner will become Japan's next prime minister. In this election, five candidates will contest a total of 590 votes: 295 from LDP-affiliated members of parliament and 295 'local votes' proportionally converted from regular party members and registered supporters across Japan. If a candidate wins an outright majority in the first round, they will be elected directly; otherwise, the top two candidates will move on to a runoff round.