With a little over a week remaining until the July 20 Upper House election, political heavyweights from both ruling and opposition parties are crisscrossing the country in a final push to boost the standing of candidates in tight races.

Prominent speakers are drawing crowds and grabbing headlines with an intensity that has sparked criticism from within their own parties.

“It’s clearly a tough battle, but I believe we’ll win in the end,” said agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) during a stump speech in the city of Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, on Wednesday.