At a time of mounting challenges at home and abroad, the contest for the presidency of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is not only going to determine Japan¡¯s next prime minister, but, in all likelihood, also the face of the party in a general election.

Campaigning for the party leadership is set to kick off on Thursday, with voting taking place on Sept. 27.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida¡¯s mid-August decision has triggered an unprecedented chain of events, with nine candidates throwing their hats into the ring ¡ª making the race the most crowded in the party¡¯s history and one of the most unpredictable in decades.