Election campaign kicks off in Japan

?Official campaigning kicked off on Tuesday for Japan's Lower House election on December 16th. Voters will decide whether to keep the Democratic Party in power or bring back the Liberal Democratic Party, and to what extent newly-founded smaller parties will influence Japanese politics. According to (NHK World) website, 1,278 candidates had registered to run for 300 seats in single-seat districts. In the proportional representation districts, 180 seats are allocated to 11 blocks across the country. Amid expectations the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party will gain most seats but no party will secure a majority, the focus is on how a coalition government will be formed, with so-called third forces trying to counter the ruling DPJ and the LDP, the two dominant political parties.  With the latest (Kyodo) news survey showing unaffiliated voters will play a key role in the election, the leaders of 12 parties will vie mainly over how to shore up the economy mired in deflation, whether to phase out nuclear energy and how to improve Japan's relations with China and South Korea, which are souring over territorial rows.