OSAKA — The Kansai region's most prominent members in the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito lost their seats to younger challengers Sunday, part of the overwhelming national trend in favor of the Democratic Party of Japan and the other opposition parties.
In one of the most closely watched races not only in Kansai but also the nation, former Nagano Gov. Yasuo Tanaka of New Party Nippon beat New Komeito's Tetsuzo Fuyushiba in a close battle that pitted one of Japan's most vocal opponents of public works projects against a former transport minister and one of New Komeito's most influential politicians.
It was a bad night for New Komeito in Kansai, which is the party's stronghold, as another veteran party member, former transport minister Kazuo Kitagawa, lost to Hiroyuki Moriyama of the DPJ.