Fumio Kishida is a moderate who has served as the policy chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and as Japan's foreign minister.

Kishida, 64, leads a liberal-leaning intraparty group and is taking his second shot at becoming LDP president. He is seeking to reach out to more people via social media amid a perceived lack of public appeal, despite his reputation as a calm and honest operator.

A third-generation politician, Kishida was elected in 1993 to the lower house from a constituency in Hiroshima Prefecture and helped realize a historic 2016 visit by U.S. President Barack Obama to the atomic-bombed city.

Kishida was seen as a potential successor to Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe but lost to Yoshihide Suga in the 2020 LDP presidential race. He is an avid fan of the Hiroshima Carp professional baseball team.

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