Second round of Japan's united local elections kicks off

The second round of Japan's united local elections kicked off early Sunday to elect mayors and assemblies, local media reported.

Attention is focused on five mayoral elections, including those of Oita city and Tokyo's Setagaya Ward, where the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan are backing different candidates, said Japan's Kyodo News Agency.

In the first round of the elections which held in April 12, the LDP won a majority in assembly elections in 41 of Japan's 47 prefectures and the gubernatorial races in Hokkaido and Oita, the only two prefectures in which ruling and opposition parties squared off.

In all, elections are being held Sunday to elect the mayors of 62 cities, 69 towns and villages and 11 of Tokyo's 23 wards, as well as assemblies in 281 cities, 284 towns and villages and 21 Tokyo wards.

Votes will be counted later in the day in most of the elections.