New opposition party pledges election policies that improve life in Japan

TOKYO - A newly launched Japanese opposition party will put forth policies designed to improve the lives of Japanese people in an upcoming general election, a source said Friday, hoping to appeal to voters seeking an alternative to the conservative ruling coalition.

In a guiding policy statement, the Centrist Reform Alliance, formed between the largest opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Komeito party, seeks to maintain the country's pacifist stance on defense while pushing for a realistic approach to diplomacy.