July's House of Councilors election is expected to be a straightforward showdown between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party of Japan, according to a recent Kyodo News survey.
The results of the survey, conducted on party officials and campaigners, meanwhile suggest that the number of expected electoral candidates totals 272, representing eight political parties or groups.
Some 182 candidates will contest single-seat and multiseat constituencies, while 90 will contest the proportional representation section.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.