Koike has thrown down the gauntlet to Abe and LDP

In Japan's 1994 general election, the Liberal Democratic Party was the biggest winner but failed to secure a majority. It formed a coalition government, for the first time, with its rival, the Social Democratic Party. Defeating the LDP candidate, the coalition partner's head Tomiichi Murayama was elected by the country's parliament as prime minister.

The way the LDP and the SDP joined hands has inspired Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, who has formed a new party, Party of Hope, and has come up with a campaign strategy to upstage Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the general election on Oct 22.

Koike's party, established late last month, will field at least 233 candidates throughout the country to vie for the 465 seats that are up for grabs in the election.