Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's top political goal remains constitutional revision, including changing Article 9's war-renouncing clause. But for Liberal Democratic Party chapters across the country, priorities tend to be on local issues, especially securing financial assistance from Tokyo for all manner of social welfare and infrastructure concerns.
As next month's LDP presidential election draws closer, Abe — who is vying for a third term — and those most likely to challenge him are touring the country in an attempt to win over as many local votes as possible.
In past party elections Diet members had more votes than local chapters. But now 405 votes each are allotted to Diet members and to local LDP representatives, giving local members — in theory — more power than they had before, when they only had 300 votes.