Two small parties inaugurated earlier this month released Tuesday their lists of candidates for the Sept. 11 election.
Former Lower House Speaker Tamisuke Watanuki told a news conference that his Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party) will field five candidates in single-seat districts.
They include Watanuki, who will run against Kyogon Hagiyama, an advocate of Koizumi's postal reform, in the Toyama No. 3 district and former LDP heavyweight Shizuka Kamei, who will fight Livedoor Co. President Takafumi Horie in the Hiroshima No. 6.
Kyoichi Tsushima joined the People's New Party on Tuesday. He will run in the Aomori No. 4 district.
Scandal-tainted politician Muneo Suzuki's Shinto Daichi (New Party Good Earth) will field three people including himself in the proportional representation block in Hokkaido and one person in the Hokkaido No. 1 single-seat district, Suzuki said.