▁lower ▁house ▁than ▁the ▁total ▁number ▁of ▁elect oral ▁districts , ▁this ▁system ▁encourag ed ▁parties ▁to ▁run ▁multiple ▁candidates ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁district . ▁Thus , ▁individual ▁polit icians ▁were ▁invari ably ▁pressed ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁personal ▁campaign ▁strategy ▁to ▁differenti ate ▁themselves ▁from ▁even ▁those ▁from ▁the ▁same ▁party , ▁character izing ▁the ▁L DP ' s ▁int ra - party ▁competition ▁and ▁leading ▁to ▁reli ance ▁on ▁p ork - bar rel ▁policy ▁and ▁candidate - based ▁voting ▁rather ▁than ▁on ▁party - center ed ▁and ▁issue - based ▁elect oral ▁batt les . ▁ ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁money ▁to ▁coordinate ▁votes ▁was ▁ac utely ▁felt ▁amongst ▁Japanese ▁constitu ents , ▁where ▁party ▁affili ations ▁were ▁s eld om ▁strong , ▁and ▁roughly ▁half ▁the ▁elect or ate ▁was ▁und ec ided . ▁The ▁L DP ▁candidates ’ ▁extensive ▁contacts ▁with ▁Japanese ▁business ▁facil itated ▁their ▁ability ▁to ▁provide ▁larger ▁material ▁benefits . ▁This ▁provided ▁the ▁L DP ▁with ▁a ▁trem end ous ▁advantage , ▁but ▁also ▁increased ▁the ▁tempt ation ▁for ▁cor ruption . ▁ ▁Lock he ed ▁Sc andal ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁K ak ue i ▁Tan aka ▁was ▁arrested ▁for ▁accepting ▁a ▁b ri be ▁of ▁ 5 0 0 ▁million ▁y en ▁from ▁the ▁Lock he ed ▁Company . ▁The ▁L DP ▁was ▁sever ely ▁critic ized ▁and , ▁thus , ▁suffered ▁a ▁decl ine ▁in ▁its ▁seats ▁in ▁the ▁Diet ▁from ▁ 2 6 4 ▁to ▁