TOKYO -- A former Japanese defense minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, has emerged as a leading candidate to become the next foreign minister, part of an unexpected reshuffle in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's leadership following Sunday's general election.

The switch comes after Akira Amari became the LDP's first secretary-general -- essentially the party's No. 2 post -- to lose their single-seat district. Amari has offered his resignation to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Kishida plans to name Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi as the new secretary-general at a party meeting on Thursday. Hayashi, who is part of an intraparty faction led by Kishida, is being considered to replace Motegi as top diplomat.

Hayashi, previously an upper house lawmaker, was elected to parliament's lower house from a Yamaguchi Prefecture district Sunday. The 60-year-old was defense minister under Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in 2008, though he held the post for less than two months due to Fukuda's resignation. He also held the education and agriculture minister posts under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Hayashi has a master's degree from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Kishida met with Motegi at the LDP headquarters Monday. The prime minister asked Motegi to "make concrete and bold reforms to the party," the latter official told reporters afterward.

Motegi, a 10-time lawmaker, has held many key positions including economic and fiscal policy minister as well as LDP policy research chief. He is currently the acting chair of the LDP's Takeshita faction.

"I will advance party reforms at the same time as responding to the coronavirus," Motegi said. "It's important to create a party that can answer to the people's trust."