Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) Secretary General Ichiro Matsui has ruled out cooperating with the Democratic Party of Japan in the runup to July's Upper House poll, citing differences over the DPJ's left-leaning educational policy, but he indicated Nippon Ishin may be willing to support Your Party candidates.
Matsui, the Osaka governor, made the remarks Monday after DPJ Secretary General Goshi Hosono said he wanted to explore election cooperation with Nippon Ishin in order to prevent the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling coalition from gaining a majority in the chamber. Half of the 242 Upper House seats will be up for grabs in July.
The LDP-New Komeito ruling bloc, which trounced the DPJ in the Dec. 16 Lower House poll and secured a comfortable majority, has a combined 102 seats in the Upper House, while the DPJ has 87, Nippon Ishin has three and Your Party has 11.