A nationwide poll over the weekend showed Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) chasing the conservative Liberal Democratic Party but leading the ruling Democratic Party of Japan as the top choice for next month's general election.
The results of the telephone poll conducted by Kyodo News and released Sunday reflect voter dissatisfaction with the nation's two biggest parties.
Nippon Ishin, led by founder and Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto and former Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, merged with Ishihara's Sunrise Party on Nov. 17 to form a "third force" against the LDP and DPJ.