Members of Osaka-based Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) fanned out across the country this week, seeking to drum up support and establish regional organizations that can field candidates under the party's umbrella in the election.
The move came as Nippon Ishin no Kai head Toru Hashimoto expressed a desire to tie up with Shintaro Ishihara, but not with members of Tachiagare Nippon (Sunrise Party), who are widely expected to join the party Ishihara is planning to launch.
"It's not necessary (to tie up with Tachiagare Nippon). Their party is a different color from ours, and I feel there is a policy and generation gap," Hashimoto said Thursday, although he did not rule out discussing the possibility.