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TOKYO : In the closely-watched Upper House elections in Japan, the 121 seats being contested have attracted three times the number of candidates - 377 in all.
Compared to past elections, more of the candidates are running for parliament for the very first time.
Masahisa Sato is a familiar face in Japan, as he was constantly in the news three years ago.
Better known as the "commander with a moustache," he led the country's Self Defence Forces on a historic mission to Iraq.
They were sent by Tokyo to help Iraq with its reconstruction efforts, but they were banned from defending Japanese allies there, under the terms of Japan's pacifist constitution.
"Even though the Dutch troops were suffering, we couldn't rescue them as our laws didn't permit such actions. What we could undertake wasn't even on par with the basic activities of teams from other countries," said LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) candidate Masahisa Satoh.
The former commander's candidacy for a seat in the Upper House is endorsed by the new Defence Minister Yuriko Koike herself.
Japan's recently upgraded Defence Ministry has identified international peace keeping operations as one of its key missions, and the Shinzo Abe government is pushing for Japan to have an expanded military role in the interest of collective defence.
Another ruling party candidate who has caught the public eye is Kyoko Nakayama.
She's already a household name as she was a member of the team that helped bring home Japanese kidnapped by North Korea in the 1970s.
Flanked by Ms Sakie Yokota, the mother of the most famous abductee, Megumi, whose case dominated the headlines, Ms Nakayama asked the public to vote for her if they want to see the return of all abductees.
"If you give me your support, North Korea may be prompted to take action. I contest this race with that hope in mind," said LDP candidate Kyoko Nakayama.
Adding drama to the campaign is a young man in a black outfit.
The former juvenile delinquent was placed in an institution because of his violence.
But he later went on to be a school teacher, and his life story inspired a television serial.
"I want to dedicate this life which had been 'rescued' by education to the goal of revitalising the education system. With this pledge, I head to Hokkaido to fight the race in the best way possible," vowed LDP candidate Hiroyuki Yoshiie.
These three candidates for the ruling LDP encapsulate the prime minister's top priorities - constitutional revision, resolving the North Korean abduction issue, and reforming the education system.
But the largest opposition party also has its share of eye-catching contenders.
Ms Kanako Otsuji, Japan's first openly gay politician, is seeking equal rights for gay couples.
"As a lesbian, I've been treated as an invisible entity in this society. The current system ignores the issues of same-sex live-in relationships. I want to boost our visibility. I appeal for collective support for this minority group," said Kanako Otsuji, DPJ (Democratic Party of Japan) candidate.
Smaller parties aren't without their share of colourful candidates.
One of them has endorsed a candidate who's probably the most well known internationally, among the entire slate.
The People's New Party was founded two years ago. They are a group of people kicked out from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party because they opposed then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's postal privatisation bills.
But this time, they've surprised the public by announcing that one of their candidates will be former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori.
Fujimori reportedly holds dual citizenship - in Japan and Peru.
Now under house arrest in Chile, where he faces corruption charges, he's unlikely to be able to travel to Japan to campaign. - CNA /ls
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