Official campaigning started Friday for the April 10 assembly elections in 41 prefectures and 15 major cities, with results expected to reflect public opinion on the government's response to last month's earthquake and tsunami, and the ongoing nuclear crisis.
A total of 2,330 seats are up for grabs in the assembly elections to be held in most prefectures. Elections in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures have been put off following the March 11 disaster.
The electoral fate of local political groups recently launched by well-known politicians such as Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto and Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura is also drawing attention, as they may attract voters dissatisfied with the existing political landscape.
Some 3,450 people are expected to run in the elections, including around 570 fielded by the Democratic Party of Japan and some 1,250 supported by the Liberal Democratic Party. Roughly 100 candidates are planning to run with the backing of Your Party.