Official campaigning began Friday for the July 12 Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, widely seen as a bellwether for the general election that must be held by October.
The focus is on whether the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc will retain its majority or if the Democratic Party of Japan becomes the leading party, boosting expectations that it will win the national election and achieve a change of government.
As of the 5 p.m. deadline Friday, 221 people had filed to be candidates, including a record 52 women, to vie for the 127 assembly seats. The LDP and DPJ each officially endorsed 58 candidates, New Komeito 23, the Japanese Communist Party 40, Tokyo Seikatsusha Network five and the Social Democratic Party two.