Campaigning began Friday for local assembly elections in 44 prefectures and 15 major cities, with an April 8 ballot date that will coincide with other polls for which campaigning is already under way.
About 3,770 people are running for 2,544 local-level assembly seats, down 90 from the previous unified regional elections four years ago, due mainly to changes in constituency boundaries after a wave of municipal mergers the central government has promoted in recent years.
The ballot date is timed to coincide with the elections of governors in 13 prefectures and mayors in four cities. Unified elections are held every four years with the aim of increasing administrative efficiency and voter turnout.