Japan votes: LDP government’s slush fund scandal takes center stage as campaigning begins

The official campaign for Japan’s general election has begun, ahead of the October 27 polls. More than 1,300 candidates are competing for 465 seats in the Lower House of the Diet. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba kicked off the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s campaign in Fukushima and expressed regret over its fund scandal. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, the leader of the largest opposition party, was in the Tokyo suburb of Hachioji, which was previously represented by an LDP heavyweight linked to the scandal. Michiyo Ishida reports.