Sanae Takaichi casts her ballot at the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) leadership election at the party headquarters in Tokyo on Friday, Image:AP/Hiro Komae, Pool

Vote to choose Japan's ruling party leader goes to runoff between Takaichi and Ishiba

· Japan Today

TOKYO — Japan's ruling party presidential race will go to a runoff between economic security minister Sanae Takaichi and former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba after none of the record nine candidates secured a majority in the first round of voting on Friday.

The winner of the Liberal Democratic Party election will replace incumbent Fumio Kishida as party chief and therefore prime minister.

Editor: Story will be updated later.

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