The ruling and opposition parties are in a close fight in one of the two Lower House by-elections next Sunday that are being viewed as a prelude to this summer's Upper House election.
The Hokkaido No. 5 single-seat district is being contested by a candidate running on the ruling Liberal Democratic Party ticket and an independent candidate backed by the newly formed main opposition Democratic Party, the Japanese Communist Party and others.
In the other by-election, for the Kyoto No. 3 district, only opposition candidates are running. A candidate fielded by the Democratic Party leads the race, according to a weekend telephone poll and other sources.