TOKYO -- Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party presidential election on Wednesday is likely to come down to a run-off between former party policy chief Fumio Kishida, popular among lawmakers, and vaccination point man Taro Kono, a favorite among rank-and-file members.
The victor will hold a press conference in the evening and immediately begin making appointments to key party posts. He or she will be elected prime minister in a special parliamentary session Oct. 4, and a new cabinet is expected to be put in place that day.
