The Democratic Party and three other opposition parties have signed a policy accord with a major activist group opposed to the controversial security laws pushed through by the ruling coalition last year.
In the run-up to the July 10 Upper House election, the heads of the Democratic Party, Japanese Communist Party, Social Democratic Party and Seikatsu no To (People's Life Party) inked the accord on Tuesday with the Civil Alliance for Peace and Constitutionalism, which has condemned Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet for a security stance it says threatens the country's future.
Despite differences in their core policies, the opposition parties are banding together to challenge the ruling coalition, including by throwing their weight behind single candidates in all 32 single-seat electoral districts at stake in this election.