Unified local elections will be held in April, although elections in northeastern Japan hit by the March 11 quake and tsunami will be postponed under a special law.

The election outcomes may greatly change Japan's political landscape — at least on a local level. Many people now view the established political parties through skeptical eyes. These parties are now eager to sell their policies to deal with natural disasters and reconstruct northeastern Japan.

On April 10, there will be gubernatorial elections in 12 prefectures, including Tokyo and Hokkaido (the election in the disaster-affected Iwate postponed), prefectural assembly elections in 41 prefectures, except for Tokyo, Ibaraki and Okinawa and the disaster-hit Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, and mayoral elections in five major cities and city assembly elections in 15 major cities.