Japan's Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi delivers a speech during a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on September 17, 2020. Charly Triballeau | AFP | Getty ImagesJapan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party is set to elect a new leader in September and, by extension, the country's next prime minister. Along with 49-year-old Takayuki Kobayashi, who has already announced his candidacy, the two contenders are seen as the choices for generational change in the party election. Nishimura said Koizumi stands a good chance of gaining votes from both LDP Diet members as well as rank-and-file members across Japan. The winner of the LDP election will need to secure a majority of the vote.

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Persons: Shinjiro Koizumi, Charly Triballeau, Junichiro Koizumi, Takayuki Kobayashi, Koizumi, Rintaro Nishimura, Nishimura, getters Organizations: AFP, Getty, Liberal Democratic Party, The Asia Group, Diet Locations: Tokyo, Fukushima, Japan