Candidates to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Naoto Kan for the leadership of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) began campaigning on Saturday and outlined their key policies they hope will ensure they receive enough backing from within the ruling party to secure their passage to the top-post.

The five candidates who have thrown their hats onto the ring to battle for the new leadership post took part in a joint news conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on Saturday, to signal the direction they would take on key policy issues to steer Japan through a myriad of pressing economic, social and post- March 11 disaster related matters.