Official campaigning for quadrennial unified local elections began across Japan on Thursday, with results expected to impact the House of Councilors election in the summer.

Incumbents and new faces filed their candidacies for the first round of the local elections, set to be held on April 7, which will include gubernatorial races in 11 prefectures, mayoral polls in six major cities, and assembly elections in 41 prefectures and 17 large cities.

Revitalizing regional economies and stemming population declines are among major issues in the regional elections, which are held simultaneously every four years with the aim of cutting election costs and increasing voter turnout.