In 2009, the year of the last Lower House election, the buzzword among politicians was "manifesto"— a term meant to convey their policy goals and vision if they won power.

But this year, the word is strikingly absent from general election campaigning, with many politicians apparently viewing it as a loaded term saddled with negative connotations.

The word is largely seen as being associated with the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, which has admitted to failing to honor pledges made during the previous election that catapulted it to power through a landslide victory.