It is officially election season in Japan. More than a thousand candidates are kicking off their campaigns to win seats in the Lower House. Voters will cast ballots at the end of the month to choose their government.
All 465 seats in the powerful Lower House are up for grabs. 289 will be from single-seat districts and 176 will be elected through a system of proportional representation. 233 seats are needed for a majority. Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru says if the governing coalition can secure a majority, he would consider it a victory.
The coalition held 290 seats when he dissolved the chamber last week. The biggest opposition party wants to break the ruling coalition’s majority.
This is the first Lower House election in three years, and the first nationwide vote since Ishiba became prime minister.
Candidates are expected to debate issues over political reforms in response to a fundraising scandal involving the main ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Other major issues include economic measures for dealing with inflation, and national security policies.
The official campaign runs for 12 days until October 26, the day before the vote.