TOKYO -- Democratic Party chief Seiji Maehara's plan to merge with a new party led by Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike came as a surprise even to those close to him, as he launches a daring campaign to both unite the opposition and keep his own party from fading into irrelevance.
"We will make history," Maehara said at a party meeting on Wednesday. "We need to use every means available to put an end to the Abe government, and we can't win if the opposition is divided."
