Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike's new party Kibo no To released the first list of candidates for the Oct. 22 Lower House election, including 110 Democratic Party members who joined the party in a desperate bid to ensure their political survival.
The list has a total of 191 official candidates for single-seat constituencies, and one for proportional representation.
Masaru Wakasa, a founding member of Kibo no To who is Koike's close aide, told a news conference Tuesday that the party is prepared to release lists of more candidates and the total will exceed 233, the number needed to attain a majority in the powerful Lower House.