Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi waves to pedestrians atop a campaign van in Tokyo June 15, 2001 as campaigning kicks off for a June 24 election for the Tokyo city assembly. The election is widely seen as a litmus test for parliament's Upper House poll to be held in late July. Koizumi hopes to achieve a convincing victory in the Upper House election in order to win a mandate to push through his ambitious policy agenda of structural and fiscal reforms.

ES/CP