Former Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Sanae Takaichi will formally declare her candidacy for the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election at a press conference on Wednesday.
Election campaigning is scheduled to kick off on Sept. 17 with voting to be held on Sept. 29.
The election is likely to center on Takaichi, Former LDP Policy Research Council Chairperson Fumio Kishida, who has already declared his candidacy, and the administrative and regulatory reform minister, Taro Kono, who is yet to officially announce his bid for the top LDP post.
Former LDP Secretary General Shigeru Ishiba is not expected to run.
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has expressed his intention to support Takaichi, who visited Abe's home in Tokyo on Tuesday and exchanged views on how to proceed.
"I have to come up with policies quickly because my name recognition is low," she said to reporters prior to the visit.
The Ishiba faction held a meeting at the Diet building on Tuesday at which some members called for Ishiba to run, while others said the faction should back Kono.
"There are many options regarding what I can do for the people," Ishiba said. "I would like to hear more opinions before I make my decision."
It is believed he is planning to support Kono.
For two consecutive days, Kono has met with Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, the head of the faction to which he belongs.
Some in the Aso faction are wary of a leadership bid by Kono, who has been trying to drum up support within the faction.
He plans to formally announce his candidacy as early as the end of this week.
Speaking at a faction meeting on Tuesday, Kishida said, "[The key] to victory in the first half of the race will be the party membership vote. I would like to speak to party members during my campaign."
Seiko Noda, the executive acting LDP secretary general, met with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday and expressed her desire to run.
"I hope I can shoulder the various expectations of the party," she said. However, she has yet to secure the 20 endorsements she needs to run.
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