The official campaign period started Thursday for a by-election to determine the Iwate prefectural constituency’s representation in the Upper House.
The election will take place Oct. 27 following the resignation of Megumi Hirose as an Upper House member. Hirose, who also quit the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was indicted without arrest in August for allegedly defrauding the government of money paid as salary to a publicly paid secretary.
The LDP has decided not to field any candidate as it is facing unabated criticism over money scandals, especially over slush funds at LDP factions. The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan plans to take aim at Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s administration in its campaign.
On Oct. 27, Japan will also hold a general election for the Lower House. The two elections will be the first national polls for Ishiba, who took office Oct. 1. The campaign period for the Lower House election will start Tuesday.
For the by-election, five people have filed their candidacies, including Toshiya Yoshida, 48, fielded by small political party Sanseito, as well as corporate executive Yutaka Odata, 69, and former trading house employee Hironori Matsushima, 67.
The remaining two are the CDP’s candidate, Eiji Kidoguchi, 61, formerly elected from the Iwate constituency, and Ayumi Tanaka, a 53-year-old independent.
In the previous Upper House election in 2022, Kidoguchi was defeated by Hirose, who ran as the LDP’s candidate.