TOKYO -- On Dec. 14 last year, 47-year-old Kenta Izumi, head of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), met with Junya Ogawa, chair of the party's policy committee in front of bustling Yurakucho Station in central Tokyo. "I brought a pen and notepad," Izumi said. Together, dressed in warm coats, the two solicited opinions from passersby.
Ogawa specializes in these kinds of on-street interactions and this time Izumi joined. But these impromptu meet-and-greets often have unexpected results. For example, one voter might push for more moderate policies, while another will say the CDP should align more closely with the Communist Party.
