Now that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the largest opposition Democratic Party of Japan have picked their candidates for the Tokyo gubernatorial election in April, the two parties are waiting with bated breath to see where New Komeito will direct its support.
On Thursday, the LDP made a formal request asking former U.N. Undersecretary General Yasushi Akashi, 68, to run in the race, while DPJ Vice President Kunio Hatoyama, who is expected to formally announce his candidacy today, is sure to have his party's full support.
To snatch control of the nation's capital, the LDP and the DPJ seem desperate to gain New Komeito's backing because its biggest supporter — Soka Gakkai, Japan's largest lay Buddhist organization — is believed to control nearly 800,000 faithful voters in Tokyo. New Komeito has no plans to field its own candidate.