When Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced plans to step down on Wednesday, he vowed that his departure would clear the way for a new leader who could bring change to Japan’s long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

       The party has managed to keep a stranglehold on power despite deep public dissatisfaction over political scandals and economic stagnation — and despite repeatedly steering away from candidates popular with the public.

       Here are five politicians likely to figure in the party’s deliberations over whom to promote to prime minister next month.

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       Taro Kono

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       Taro Kono, Japan’s minister for digital transformation, at the Prime Minister’s office in Tokyo last year.Credit...Issei Kato/Reuters

       Mr. Kono, 61, is a popular and somewhat unconventional figure who could significantly shake up Japan’s governing party.

       Mr. Kono, a graduate of Georgetown University, is Japan’s digital minister. He came within a hair’s breadth of becoming prime minister in 2021, narrowly losing a runoff vote to Mr. Kishida despite a surge of public support for his more progressive stance on issues like legalizing same-sex marriage.

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