Voters write the names of candidates at a polling station in Tokyo in a House of Representatives election on Oct. 31, 2021. (Kyodo)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese voters expressed their hopes and concerns over issues such as addressing income disparities and bringing COVID-19 infections under control, as the country held a general election Sunday.

       "Politicians speak of redistributing wealth, saying only what is nice to hear, but it makes me worried about the public finances," said Mayumi Igarashi, a Tokyo resident, after listening to a stump speech by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the capital on the eve of the election.

       Kishida, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and took office on Oct. 4, has vowed to boost middle-class incomes.

       Igarashi, 41, expressed hope that the government will move forward with economic policies that have been stalled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

       Hideki Nakamura, a 46-year-old health care worker in Ome, western Tokyo, expressed frustration over how the government's past policy on reducing the number of hospital beds had led to a strain on the medical system amid the pandemic.

       Hiromi Machida, a 54-year-old nursery worker, had high hopes for the policies pledged by the opposition camp.

       "I feel the current government does not value people's lives," said Machida, as Yukio Edano, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, made his final appeal in Tachikawa, western Tokyo.

       Machida particularly called for child-friendly policies that will be beneficial for everyone.

       Hirohito Miyatani, a 46-year-old business owner in Takatsuki in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, said he feels the Japanese economy has slowed down. "I hope politics will create a society in which my child can comfortably raise children."

       Meanwhile, also in Takatsuki, Rie Fujii, a 20-year-old university student, urged lawmakers to implement policies on social welfare. She said she is interested in that issue "because you never know when you will need such support."

       Font Size S M L Print Timeline 0