With several polls indicating that the ruling coalition may win over 300 of the 480 seats in Sunday's Lower House race, the Liberal Democratic Party is poised to be the big winner — and Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party) the main loser.
Ishin no To co-leaders Toru Hashimoto, who also serves as mayor of Osaka, and Kenji Eda, a Lower House representative from the Kanagawa No. 8 district, know they are facing a tough election.
The party only formally came into being in September, after months of difficult negotiations between the two leaders. Hashimoto had previously co-led Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) with Shintaro Ishihara, and Eda had headed Yui no To (Unity Party) after breaking away from Your Party.