tokyo election campaign japan begin earnest tuesday prime minister shinzo abe seek repel upstart new party pledge rid government cronyism challenge abe near-five year hold power oct. 22 low house election pit abe liberal democratic party-led coalition less one-month-old party hope head popular tokyo governor yuriko koike former ldp lawmaker often float possible first female premier abe say need renew mandate tackle national crisis stem north korea nuclear missile threat demographic time-bomb japan fast-ageing population 63-year-old abe call poll amid opposition disarray uptick approval rat slide due series scandals suspect cronyism sudden emergence koike party also appeal conservative voters could upset abe calculation main opposition democratic party implode last month big chunk candidates run party hope ticket first campaign speech abe attack opposition use populist slogans create future boom slogan policy create future abe say fukushima northeast japan afford lose ldp-led coalition defend two-thirds super majority parliament low house lose simple majority would major upset abe ldp 288 seat low house dissolve election junior partner komeito 35. total number seat cut 465 475. recent opinion poll show ldp lead analysts think abe could still pull another landslide victory poll 3,119 voters public broadcaster nhk release tuesday show 36 percent positive expectations party hope 47 percent survey week ago support abe government unchanged 37 percent soggy performance ldp however could stir call inside party replace abe deny third term ldp leader september 2018 end chance become japan longest-serving premier koike defy ldp last year run governor call fledgling party reformist conservative group free fetter vest interest often popular campaign slogan japan surplus things country hope future say koike 65 kick campaign outside one tokyo major train station koike decide run low house seat need make eligible premiership decline say party would support post leave door open variety possible tie-ups include abe ldp party hope look lot like ldp problem vest interest say koji sasaya 82 u.s. resident longtime ldp supporter travel japan vote election koike new party others outside station less convince koike talk clean politics trust abe safeguard national security doubt deliver politics free vest interest say minori hiramatsu 28-year-old mother one way job interview abe problems domestically best person protect us north korean threats party hope echo abe ldp security diplomacy back tough sanction north korea controversial security measure adopt 2015 expand military role overseas koike also agree abe japan post-war u.s.-drafted pacifist constitution amend though necessarily change need economic policies koike party seek differentiate demand end nuclear power 2030 freeze sales tax hike plan 2019. abe want keep nuclear power key part japan energy mix raise sales tax spend revenues education child care center-left constitutional democratic party japan form liberal wing fail democratic party woo voters dissatisfy conservative options election campaign underway japan abe take hope