Japan's general election kicked off on Sunday, marking a crucial test for new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba as he seeks to garner voter support for his scandal-plagued party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Ishiba, a former defense minister, called for a snap election shortly after assuming leadership of the LDP, a political powerhouse that has dominated Japanese politics since its inception in 1955.
The election comes in the wake of a major funding scandal that rocked the LDP, involving millions of dollars in undocumented political funds and allegations of corruption among lawmakers. Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attempted to address the fallout by reshuffling his cabinet and dissolving LDP factions, but ultimately decided not to seek a second term.
