While the fallout from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's slush fund scandal will continue to reverberate during this month's round of by-elections, one of the three districts set to vote has a rocky past of its own — one of scandals and political misconduct.
On April 28, the residents of Tokyo's No. 15 district — which corresponds to the city’s southeastern Koto Ward — will head to the polls for the third time in a year.
They won’t be short on choices. After a recent electoral scandal prompted a flurry of resignations from local politicians, nine candidates — including a well-known writer, a former wrestler and a scholar on Islamic thought — will compete for one seat in what’s set to be the most chaotic of the three by-election races. Official campaigning kicked off on Tuesday.