Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu has announced his bid for the presidency of the main governing Liberal Democratic Party. This is the first time the 68-year-old politician is running for the position.

Kato said: "I have done a lot of work in the Abe administration, the Suga administration and the Kishida administration. Based on these experiences, I think I was able to gain steady results from my work. There are many challenges now, such as how to improve the economy, wages and income. I would like to listen to the public and reflect their views to solve each and every issue."

In addition to chief Cabinet secretary, he has served as health minister three times, during which he played a central role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The election will decide the successor to Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, who announced last month he will not run. The campaign is set to begin on Thursday next week, with the election on September 27. The number of candidates is certain to exceed the previous high of five.