Running for office doesn't come cheap. Politicians need money for posters, vans, venues for speeches and meals for volunteers. The problem for aspirants to office is that political donations are falling, and corporate money in particular is dwindling fast.
"Companies give almost nothing, except at fundraising parties, where even big firms give only about two-thirds of what they did 10 years ago," said an official at Fukui Prefecture's federation of Liberal Democratic Party branches.
Financial institutions gave nothing in latest election cycle, including key local lender Fukui Bank, which gave 1 million yen at a single fundraising banquet in 2000, the official said.