TOKYO, Apr 16 (Kyodo) - Official campaigning for three House of Representatives by-elections began in Japan on Tuesday, with the races to serve as crucial tests of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's leadership as he seeks to ride out a political funds scandal that has rocked his ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
Up for grabs in the votes on April 28 are seats in three electoral districts in Tokyo as well as in Shimane and Nagasaki prefectures, all of which were held by the LDP before becoming vacant.
Facing headwinds following the scandal that exposed massive undeclared funds distributed among its lawmakers, the LDP has decided not to field candidates in the Tokyo No. 15 and Nagasaki No. 3 districts, focusing instead on defending the seat in the Shimane No. 1 district of the western prefecture, considered a conservative stronghold.
