Japans PM brings 17-day campaign to an end

The campaign, which ended today, was seen as a referendum on his party’s first ten months in office. This Sunday’s vote will be the first ballot box national test for Kan and his Centre-left Democratic party of Japan (DPJ).

A total of 437 candidates and party leaders across Japan are appealing to the public for support. 121 seats are there for the taking. Kan returned to campaigning in the capital later on in the day, bringing the 17-day campaign to a close.

"A keyword is politics with participation of citizens," Kan told his listeners, according to police, near the main station in Kichijoji, western suburb of Tokyo.

Kan, a pragmatist with intentions to bring Japan's finances back on its feet, is seeking popular support. However, the 63-year-old Prime Minister has called for debate on a possible doubling of the consumption tax to 10 percent, facing a tough challenge. Support for Kan and his cabinet has dropped to about 40 percent, according to surveys, with voters skeptical about tax revision.