Voters should cast their ballots in Sunday's election by asking themselves if the government has steered Japan in a desirable direction and whether it has reinforced the people's trust in politics, former Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa says.

Hosokawa said in a recent interview that campaign pledges are not sufficiently credible to judge the parties on because they always say things that appeal to the voters' ears and then do not live up to them.

"What has the (Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito-New Conservative Party) coalition government achieved in terms of fiscal and monetary policy, diplomacy, social welfare and education?" asked Hosokawa, who is also special adviser to The Japan Times. "Based on answers to those questions, people should decide whether the current government should stay in power."