Former trade minister Takeo Hiranuma and four other ex-Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers launched a new party Saturday in a bid to create a viable alternative to the dominant players ahead of this summer's Upper House election.
The party, Tachiagare Nippon, is founded on a pledge to chart a clear path for economic growth and fiscal rehabilitation, including drastic tax reform entailing a consumption tax hike.
Although the party's name literally translates as "Stand Up, Japan," party members at a news conference in Tokyo revealed its English name will be "The Sunrise Party of Japan."