HOME > NATIONAL > Article

Text Size

small

medium

large


Japanese Parties' Election Campaigning Swings into Gear

Japanese Parties' Election Campaigning Swings into Gear

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (center back) meets with farmers in Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture, on Friday.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (center back) meets with farmers in Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture, on Friday.

   Tokyo, July 4 (Jiji Press)--Leaders of Japanese ruling and opposition parties took to the streets to canvass for votes on Friday as they entered full-fledged campaigning for the July 20 election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament.
   In their speeches on the second day of the official campaign period for the Upper House election, party leaders focused on issues such as higher prices and rice shortages.
   Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who leads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, emphasized the importance of increasing rice production in a dialogue with local farmers in Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan.
   In a street address, Ishiba touted his ruling coalition's campaign pledge to provide cash benefits ranging from 20,000 yen to 40,000 yen per person to help cushion the impact of higher prices on households, saying this is "not pork barreling."
   Mitsunari Okamoto, policy chief at Komeito, the LDP's coalition partner, said in a speech in Asaka, Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, said the cash benefits "may not be sufficient but we hope they will help people cope with rising prices."

To read a full story, please click here to find out how to subscribe.

NATIONAL

HEADLINES

POLITICS
Sanseito Raises Target for Sunday's Upper House Election to 20 Seats
ECONOMY
Rapidus Unveils Prototype of Chip with 2-Nanometer Circuit Line Width
SPORTS
Softball: Japan Marks 8th Straight Win at Women's Aisa Cup Preliminary Round
OTHER
Amid Climate Change, Half of People in Tuvalu Apply to Immigrate to Australia

AFP-JIJI PRESS NEWS JOURNAL


Photos