PRESS CONFERENCE
Taro Kono, Yasutoshi Nishimura & Sadakazu Tanigaki,
Liberal Democratic Party Presidential Candidates

The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with simultaneous interpretation.

*Doors will open at 09:45. The moderator's introduction will begin sharply at 10:00 and be followed immediately by the speakers' presentation then Q & A. For those who wish, an early lunch will be served from approximately 11:15.

After a devastating setback at the hands of the Democratic Party of Japan in the Aug. 30 general election, the nation's once-dominant Liberal Democratic Party is trying to return to power, against all odds, by electing its new leader.

Three LDP lawmakers are vying for the LDP presidency in the Sept. 28 election. They are former Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki, Taro Kono, a former senior vice minister of justice and Yasutoshi Nishimura, a former trade ministry bureaucrat and parliamentary vice minister for foreign affairs.

It looks like a showdown between the old LDP led by Tanigaki, 64, and a generation of young Turks represented by Kono and Nishimura, both 46.

Whoever wins the LDP presidential election faces a daunting task of rehabilitating the LDP after Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's controversial reign and annual leadership changes after him -- Shinzo Abe, Yasuo Fukuda and Taro Aso.

The three candidates will come to the club each armed with a recipe for a big comeback and economic growth.

MENU
Sandwich: Tuna, olive, roasted red peppers & feta baguette with salad & pickles.
Hot Plate: Lemongrass marinated chicken with chermoula, avocado salsa, vegetable rice & seasonal salad.

Taro Kono, Yasutoshi Nishimura & Sadakazu Tanigaki, Liberal Democratic Party Presidential Candidates