Former Japanese Health Minister Katsunobu Kato (pictured) shared on Tuesday that he will run for the next head of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in an attempt to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
"The utmost priority is to double people's incomes. There is no policy that is more important than this," Kato remarked during a press briefing while announcing his first-ever candidacy for the LDP president. He went on to warn the public that the country's economy is "in a more severe state than people think."
The 68-year-old, previously working as chief Cabinet secretary under former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, is the eighth individual to join the race, with elections taking place on September 27.