Many of the Liberal Democratic Party's heavyweights did not escape defeat in their electoral districts Sunday at the hands of challengers from the Democratic Party of Japan.
The losers included former Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu, former LDP Vice President Taku Yamasaki, former Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa and ex-Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura.
Kaifu will no longer have a Diet seat because he was not listed on the party's proportional representation list that gives candidates a second chance to be elected.