Upper House Election Campaigns Underway
Campaigning is now officially underway in Japan's Upper House election. Voting day is set for July 10. It's being seen as a barometer of public opinion on the current government nine months in.
Candidates are expected to debate how to deal with surging prices in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Foreign and security policies are likely to be other key topics in their campaigns.
Members of the Upper House are elected for six-year terms. Elections are held every three years, with half of the seats up for grabs.
This time there are 124 seats plus one extra to fill a vacancy from the other half.
Seventy-five will be decided based on electoral districts from across Japan.
The remaining 50 seats will be filled by people elected through proportional representation.
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says his ruling coalition aims to maintain its majority in the Upper House. That would require winning at least 56 of the open seats.
People will also be watching to see if members of the ruling coalition and other parties in favor of amending the Constitution will hold two-thirds of the house.
They would need that level of support in both houses to put any proposal to a national referendum.
The official campaign continues through July 9, one day before the election day.