Japan's Koizumi, Hayashi run for leadership of ruling party

FILE PHOTO: Japanese Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks during a tasting event of stockpiled rice in Tokyo, Japan May 29, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's farm minister and the chief government spokesperson entered the race on Tuesday to lead the ruling party, pledging their candidacies in a vote set for early next month to replace outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Ishiba announced his resignation this month to take responsibility for a series of bruising election losses that have made harder the task of choosing a leader for his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).