In areas ravaged by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, voters frustrated with the slow pace of recovery and anxious about their future are looking for their elected leaders to put together a faster and more robust reconstruction effort.
In hard-hit Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, many voters are still living in temporary housing. During recent interviews they deplored what they see as politicians' "half-hearted" attitudes on the recovery process ahead of Sunday's Lower House election.
Emi Suda, a 51-year-old oyster farmer, said she was disgusted by the power struggles among political parties in the runup to the start of the campaign period Dec. 4.