- week ▁official ▁election ▁campaign ▁period , ▁almost ▁all ▁candidates ▁spoke ▁about ▁political ▁reform , ▁though ▁none ▁made ▁it ▁clear ▁what ▁that ▁meant ▁or ▁how ▁it ▁was ▁going ▁to ▁be ▁achieved . ▁" Change " ▁was ▁the ▁key ▁word ▁in ▁the ▁election ▁- ▁changing ▁the ▁cor rupt ▁practices ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁r uling ▁status ▁of ▁the ▁L DP . ▁ ▁Media ▁and ▁Public ▁opinion ▁ ▁The ▁media ▁and ▁wire ▁services ▁( As ah i ▁Shin b un , ▁N H K , ▁Ky odo ▁News ▁Service ) ▁un anim ously ▁predicted ▁that ▁the ▁L DP ▁would ▁lose ▁its ▁majority ▁in ▁the ▁Diet . ▁Even ▁though ▁a ▁Nik ke i ▁poll ▁conducted ▁between ▁June ▁ 2 5 – 2 7 ▁showed ▁that ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁L DP ▁had ▁dropped ▁from ▁ 4 3 . 8 % ▁to ▁ 2 8 . 6 % ▁and ▁that ▁only ▁ 2 1 . 9 % ▁of ▁respond ents ▁planned ▁to ▁vote ▁for ▁the ▁L DP , ▁ 3 2 . 1 % ▁still ▁supported ▁an ▁L DP - led ▁coal ition . ▁J R P ▁leader ▁H ata ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁choice ▁for ▁prime ▁minister , ▁while ▁both ▁former ▁L DP ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁T osh iki ▁Ka if u ▁and ▁L DP ▁Deput y ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Mas ah aru ▁Got ada ▁pol led ▁well . ▁ ▁Thus , ▁the ▁down fall ▁of ▁the ▁L DP ▁was ▁expected . ▁What ▁was ▁not ▁clear ▁was ▁the ▁make - up ▁of ▁the ▁coal ition ▁that ▁would ▁emer ge