The "third-force" parties that ran in Sunday's Lower House election hoped to win enough seats to serve as a powerful check to the established parties but got crushed at the polls.

They've now turned their focus to next summer's Upper House election.

For Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party), Sunday's poll was proof the Osaka-based party founded by Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto still has a long way to go to convince voters elsewhere that it's a credible national force. Despite months of effort and planning, and predictions earlier this year the party might win over 200 seats, it ended up with just 54.