TOKYO -- Japan's opposition parties have shifted into a historic realignment, including a split of the largest opposition force, as the countdown continues to the Oct. 22 general election.
Triggered by the establishment of Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike's Kibo no To, or Party of Hope, in late September, the Democratic Party has decided on a de facto merger with the new party. Democrats who did not join the Party of Hope launched a new party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, which is seeking collaboration with other opposition forces.
