FOCUS: Speculation of larger ruling bloc as small opposition plots survival

A small Japanese opposition party appears to be going all out for its survival beyond a key election this summer, raising the possibility that it could become a dynamo for change in the country's political landscape.The Democratic Party for the People's recent cozying up to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party has fueled speculation among political circles that it wants to join the ruling coalition, which also involves junior partner Komeito.For the LDP, the small opposition party may not be a strange political bedfellow, and their closer relations in the run-up to the Ho…READ FULL ARTICLE