The Democratic Party of Japan and the Social Democratic Party said Friday they hope social critic Keiko Higuchi will run in the upcoming Tokyo gubernatorial race against outspoken incumbent Gov. Shintaro Ishihara.
Naoto Kan, president of the DPJ, the nation's main opposition party, said he thinks Higuchi would make a "good candidate," while SDP Secretary General Mizuho Fukushima said her party "will probably move in the direction of supporting her," although it has yet to decide on a candidate.
Kan was speaking to reporters in Tokyo, the same day the party's executive members gathered in the Diet to discuss fielding its candidate in the April 13 gubernatorial race. They decided to take a wait-and-see stance over formally asking Higuchi to run.