With prices rising, Japanese parties promise wage hikes to voters

TOKYO -- With rising food and energy prices squeezing household budgets, Japanese parties are promising to ease voters' pain with competing proposals for wage hikes and tax cuts in their campaign platforms for the upper house election on July 10. 

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has placed higher pay front and center. Its campaign platform pledges to promote investment in people and usher in an era of wage growth for the first time in 25 years.