2 declare bids for Japan main opposition's leadership race

Two lawmakers formally declared their candidacies Wednesday for the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan's leadership race to be held at the end of the month after its leader resigned over the party's recent election loss.Ahead of the start of campaigning on Friday, CDPJ policy chief Kenta Izumi, 47, and Seiji Osaka, 62, a former special adviser to the prime minister, announced their respective bids to succeed Yukio Edano as the party's leader.Chinami Nishimura, 54, a former senior vice minister of health, labor and welfare, also announced her desire to run, although she…READ FULL ARTICLE