Income disparity, pandemic in focus as race for next Japan premier kicks off

FILE PHOTO: Taro Kono, Japan's vaccination programme chief and ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmaker, attends a news conference as he announces his candidacy for the party's presidential election in Tokyo, Japan, September 10, 2021. REUTERS/Issei Kato

TOKYO (Reuters) -Candidates vying to become Japan's next prime minister promised to restore popular trust in the ruling party by tackling income disparity, the coronavirus pandemic and climate change as they launched campaigns on Friday.

Vaccine minister Taro Kono, widely seen as the leading contender to the win the Sept. 29 race to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), picked up an endorsement from outgoing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.