Voters interviewed Sunday at polling stations in Tokyo and Osaka expressed a wide range of opinions on the Upper House campaign, with some saying the Democratic Party of Japan should continue to lead the country while others were disappointed by its economic policies and inconsistent diplomacy.
Many voters said the consumption tax was the focal point of the campaign because it affects everybody.
The DPJ is trying to open cross-party talks on reforming the tax system so the government can do something to trim the alarming national debt and finance growing social security costs. If the opposition parties refuse to participate, Kan said he might "reference" the Liberal Democratic Party's plan to double the consumption tax to 10 percent in a few years.