Campaigning has formally begun in Japan ahead of a general election that could see a rare change of power.

普选之前的竞选活动已经在日本展开，届时将会看到政权力量的罕见变化。

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Taro Aso's party has governed for most of the past half century

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has ruled for more than 50 years, with just one single break of less than one year.

But it is currently trailing（牵引的） in opinion polls behind the opposition² Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) with less than two weeks to go before the 30 August vote.

Japan has been wracked（带来极大痛苦） by its steepest recession in decades, and analysts³ say this could harm the LDP's chances.

Even though the latest figures show the economy is now growing again, Prime Minister Taro Aso - the LDP leader - admits few people have felt the benefit yet.

The DPJ, led by Yukio Hatoyama, wants to shift the focus of government from supporting corporations to helping⁴ consumers and workers - challenging the status quo（现状） that has existed since the end of World War II.

There are pledges of generous allowances for children, pension reforms and tax cuts, but according to the BBC's correspondent in Tokyo, Roland Buerk, the opposition has offered few explanations of how to pay for the plans beyond eliminating waste.

'New era'

Mr Aso seemed determined⁵ to fight his corner as he rallied supporters in the Tokyo heat.

"We will press ahead," he said, boasting of his party's financial stimulus⁶ measures a day after new data showed the country - Asia's biggest economy - had lifted out of recession.

"Our economic measures are kicking in for sure," he said.

But had added that his party was "not finished with our efforts to see economic recovery. Recovery is our foremost（最初的） priority".

Meanwhile Mr Hatoyama called for change, and outlined his vision of a stronger social welfare system and less bureaucracy（官僚政治）.

"The day has come to change the history of Japan," Mr Hatoyama said on a campaign tour in the western city of Osaka. "Let's step into a new era with courage."

In a poll released on Tuesday by the Asahi, one of Japan's most influential⁷ newspapers, 40% of voters backed the DPJ, compared with 21% who support the LDP.