Key Facts
• March 2025: Lawyer Kenji Imai (39) selected as LDP candidate for Hiroshima 5th District.
• June 25, 2025: Imai submitted a formal withdrawal request to the Hiroshima LDP branch.
• June 26, 2025: LDP Hiroshima branch election committee approved Imai’s withdrawal.
• Reason for withdrawal: Imai cited concerns about causing inconvenience to the party.
• LDP headquarters had not yet approved Imai’s appointment as branch leader.
• Next steps: Candidate selection process to be discussed after July 2025 Upper House elections.
Summary
Kenji Imai, a 39-year-old lawyer from Kyoto residing in Onomichi, was selected in March 2025 as the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) candidate for the Hiroshima 5th District branch leader through a public recruitment process. However, on June 25, 2025, Imai submitted a formal withdrawal request, which was approved by the LDP Hiroshima branch election committee the following day. Imai explained his decision, stating that further delays in his appointment could inconvenience the party. The LDP headquarters had not finalized his appointment as branch leader. The Hiroshima LDP branch plans to discuss new candidate selection methods after the July 2025 Upper House elections.
