Former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi sought to soften her more right-leaning image and appeal to broader swaths of the public besides her long-time conservative supporters as she pitched her candidacy to become president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

In a news conference Friday, Takaichi outlined her plan to address what she called the “crisis” Japan finds itself in, underscoring her commitment to boost the country’s strength.

Yet, when asked about a clear defense spending target or a potential visit to Yasukuni Shrine, a place seen as a symbol of Japan’s militarism by neighboring countries, she avoided giving a clear answer.

“I don’t want to be pigeonholed just as a conservative, I’m more of a moderate conservative now that all these parties have come out,” Takaichi said, likely references to parties such as Sanseito and the Conservative Party of Japan, which she did not name.

In a policy-thick news conference, Takaichi called China an “important neighbor” and emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral relations.

In what appeared to be an olive branch, Takaichi voiced her support for raising the income-tax threshold and a tax credit program with a cash benefit, respectively policies championed by the opposition Democratic Party for the People and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

This is Takaichi’s third attempt at the LDP presidency.

Friday’s news conference put on display Takaichi’s endeavors to make herself more palatable across the political spectrum — both to the general public and within the LDP, a party in which conservative views coexist with more moderate positions.

A long-time conservative champion, Takaichi had long worked to present herself as the poster child of the more hawkish wing of the LDP. Her views on China and economic policy have often put her at odds with some of her more centrist colleagues.

While this identity has helped her gain wide name recognition with the public, it proved to be a political liability in her last bid for the party presidency.

In her first attempt in 2021, she finished third despite a good showing among the party’s lawmakers, thanks to the support of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, one of her political role models.

”Japan is back; we must say this aloud,” Takaichi said in her news conference, harking back to one of Abe’s slogans.

In her second attempt last year, she captured the lion's share of votes from the party’s rank-and-file members, scoring a surprising top place in the opening round before conceding to current Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the runoff that followed.

On that occasion, she lost her initial lead among party lawmakers as two power brokers — former Prime Ministers Yoshihide Suga and Fumio Kishida — opted to place their bets on Ishiba, a moderate candidate.

Speaking at a party gathering earlier this month, Kishida reportedly warned against the dangers of populism and the need for the LDP to adhere to a more moderate type of conservatism. Tetsuo Saito, the leader of Komeito, the LDP’s long-time coalition partner, voiced similar sentiments.

At the same time, right-leaning voters fleeing from the LDP to Sanseito, an upstart far-right party, in the recent Upper House election has prompted calls to more clearly define the conservative identity of the party to win back those voters.

Hailing from Nara Prefecture, Takaichi is a lawmaker with over 30 years of experience in parliament and a track record of senior positions in the party and the government.

She’s known to be a studious policy geek with vast knowledge but few allies within the party.

Together with farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi, she’s widely seen as a frontrunner in this year’s race.

A Kyodo news survey conducted last weekend saw her top the public’s preference for the party’s presidency. In a recent Jiji Press poll, 21% of respondents chose her, which put her second behind Koizumi.

Koizumi is slated to formally outline his policy platform Saturday, after formally launching his campaign Friday.

Three days before kickoff, the presidential election is now set to be a contest between five candidates: Takaichi, Koizumi, former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi and former LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi.