New Liberal Democratic Party leader Fumio Kishida, who will be appointed prime minister on Monday, is said to be aiming for a general election on either Nov. 7 or 14.
While the ex-banker is almost guaranteed to be made prime minister by his party at a special session Monday, within weeks he will need to face a skeptical public in a general election.
The Liberal Democratic Party votes for a new leader in an unusually unpredictable tussle that will essentially decide the No. 3 economy's next prime minister.
The LDP presidential race has put renewed focus on the powerful position, with various party heavyweights looking to get rid of the long-standing incumbent.
Komeito, a member of Japan's ruling coalition, Tuesday released its first set of policy pledges for the upcoming general election, including a ¥100,000 cas