What will be on voters¡¯ minds Sunday when they cast their ballots for the nation¡¯s Upper House election?

A recent NHK poll asked that question to prospective voters, and the majority answered ¡°measures to deal with rising prices¡± and ¡°social security and the declining birthrate.¡±

Contrary to perhaps many expectations, public furor over ¡°seiji to kane¡± (politics and money) scandals was much smaller in number, barely edging out ¡°policies regarding foreigners¡± in the list. Yet it was money scandals that was the chief cause of the Liberal Democratic Party¡¯s slide in popularity over the last two years.