Ruling and opposition leaders started campaigning across the country on Saturday, one day after the House of Representatives was dissolved for a Nov. 9 general election, in a race to see which of the nation's two biggest parties will take the reins of government.
But Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, took a full day off, leaving the bullhorn to his deputy in the party -- the young and popular Shinzo Abe -- who he hopes will help him steer the party to victory.
Koizumi will return to work Sunday. He is exhausted from a long series of events, including the LDP presidential election and Cabinet reshuffle, as well as a visit to Bali, Indonesia, for meetings with the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, China and South Korea, his aides said.