Japan's main opposition party, the Centrist Reform Alliance, has raised over 100 million yen through a crowdfunding campaign launched about one month ago. The effort aims to broaden support ahead of next year's local elections.
The party, formed by lawmakers from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Komeito party, has struggled financially since its defeat in the February House of Representatives election reduced its seats from nearly 170 to just under 50.
The campaign began on May 15 with a minimum donation of 1,000 yen per person. It surpassed its initial target of 10 million yen within hours and reached 100 million yen on Monday.
CRA leader Junya Ogawa wrote on social media that the figure represents "the total weight of people's hopes" for political change. "Whether we can live up to those expectations will be determined from here on," he added.
The money will fund dialogue events across the country, policy formulation relevant to voters' lives, and maintenance of ties with local communities.