Party leaders make pledges as campaign begins for Oct. 22 Lower House election

Campaigning began Tuesday for the Oct. 22 House of Representatives election, pitting the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe against a recently reorganized opposition including Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike's Kibo no To (Party of Hope).

Reforms have shrunk the Lower House by 10 seats to a postwar low of 465. Abe has said he will resign if his Liberal Democratic Party and its smaller coalition partner, Komeito, do not win an overall majority with a combined 233 seats.

Abe kicked off his campaign in Fukushima, as he did in the last two Lower House elections, seeking to highlight his administration's work on recovery from the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters.