As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe steers the nation away from pacifism, the coming Upper House election is a chance to voice opposition to this new course, according to Kazuo Shii, who heads the Japanese Communist Party.
Japan is on the brink of becoming a "lawless, autocratic country" under Abe, who is pushing for aggressive security laws, nuclear power and other controversial policies, Shii said in an interview with media outlets last week.
"He has become uncontrollable, he's ignored the people's voices" over his past 3½ years in power, Shii said. "And now, all of these policies are falling apart. We need a change in all of these areas."