SHIZUOKA — It was supposed to be Ichiro Ozawa's master plan, a strategy that would drive the final nail in the coffin of the Liberal Democratic Party and oust it from Shizuoka Prefecture for good.
Instead, Democratic Party of Japan candidate Naoko Nakamoto has found herself hamstrung by Ozawa's multiple-ticket tactics as Sunday's Upper House election nears.
Nakamoto is one of two candidates being fielded by the ruling DPJ in Shizuoka, but is struggling to take the lead among the six candidates vying for the two seats up for grabs.