Official campaigning has commenced for a House of Councillors by-election in western Japan, the first national contest since Prime Minister Fumio Kishida revamped his Cabinet last month in a bid to re-energize his political base.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida rules out dissolving the lower house for a snap election "as of now," amid speculation that he would do so following the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima.
Voters are casting their ballots to select candidates who will fill five vacant seats in parliament, about a week after a man threw an explosive device at Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a campaign speech.
Official campaigning starts for elections to pick mayors and assembly members in a number of cities across Japan as part of the second round of a series of quadrennial local contests.
Official campaigning for four lower house by-elections starts across Japan, after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's ruling Liberal Democratic Party won a number of key gubernatorial races over the weekend.