Fumio Kishida, 63, former foreign minister

ABE has touted Kishida as a potential leader, appointing him as foreign minister and then to a senior party post. But the mild-mannered former banker has so far failed to build a public profile.

Seen as more dovish than Abe, Kishida sealed an ill-fated deal with South Korea in 2015 that was meant to end a dispute over women trafficked in brothels run by Japan’s military during World War II. But that accord eventually ended in rancor.

In an interview with broadcaster TV Tokyo on Monday, Kishida said he expected interest rates to remain low, given the state of the economy. He called for plentiful spending to combat the economic crisis, but urged caution on the idea of cutting the sales tax. Kishida also mentioned the need to return to fiscal discipline later.