The Democratic Party officially launched on Monday the contest to select its next leader, with the two contenders saddled with the task of reviving a party grappling with an exodus of lawmakers and the sweeping rise of a new political force.
Vying for leadership role in the biggest opposition party's Sept. 1 election are former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara and former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano.
Speaking to reporters Monday, Maehara, a hawk in the ideologically diverse DP, said he sees the leadership election as a chance to turn the party into a viable alternative to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party.