Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party), co-headed by populist Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, captured 54 seats in the December 2012 Lower House election, making it, and him, national political forces.
But after two years of infighting, which led to a massive drop in popularity, a party split and a name change, Hashimoto's Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party) is fighting for its political life, especially in its Kansai/Osaka base.
Of Ishin no To's 42 lawmakers in the Lower House, 19 represent single-seat districts in the Kansai prefectures of Kyoto, Shiga, Osaka, Hyogo and Wakayama. Twelve of those single-seat districts are in Osaka Prefecture, which has a total of 19 electoral districts.