Campaigning Begins for Japan's Feb. 8 Lower House Poll

Tokyo, Jan. 27 (Jiji Press)--The 12-day campaign period for the Feb. 8 election for Japan's House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, the country's parliament, began Tuesday.

This is the first general election since the formation of the coalition government between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its new partner, the Japan Innovation Party.

Prime Minister and LDP President Sanae Takaichi views the election as a chance to gauge public confidence in the coalition. Key issues include measures against inflation, a proposed consumption tax cut and policies on foreigners.

The ruling parties aim to maintain a majority in the 465-seat Lower House. When the chamber was dissolved on Friday for the election, the ruling bloc held a total of 233 seats, a narrow majority.

"Important policies and the structure of the administration have changed," Takaichi said in her first street speech for the election, which was held near East Japan Railway Co.'s Akihabara Station in Tokyo and joined by Hirofumi Yoshimura, who leads the JIP.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]