Voters Scrutinize Stump Speeches for Japan Upper House Election

   Tokyo, July 7 (Jiji Press)--Voters in Japan listened enthusiastically to stump speeches by political party officials Sunday, ahead of the upcoming House of Councillors election.
   The day was the first Sunday after the official campaign period for the July 20 election for the upper chamber of the Diet, the country's parliament, started Thursday.
   In Yokohama, the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, ruling and opposition party leaders delivered speeches to rally support for their parties and their candidates.
   An 18-year-old first-year university student from the city called on the government and politicians to "not only spend taxpayer money on social security measures for elder people but also focus on working generations."
   Tsuyoshi Shintani, a 60-year-old self-employed who lives nearby, hailed a speech by a ruling coalition leader that focused on the international situation.

(2025/07/07-08:30)