With campaigning for the Lower House election set to kick off in a few days, the leaders of 11 parties gathered for a televised discussion Friday that saw most of the questions thrown at Liberal Democratic Party chief Shinzo Abe, whose party leads the opinion polls.
The 2½-hour event at the Japan National Press Center in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, unveiled the leaders' policy stances, which varied considerably on the issue of nuclear power.
Friday was their second joint encounter since an online talk hosted Thursday by video-streaming site Nico Nico Douga, their first such debate on the Internet. Friday's session was longer and provided them more time to respond to each other and to the press.