PRESS CONFERENCE
Mizuho Fukushima,
Leader, Social Democratic Party of Japan

The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation.

With only seven lower house representatives in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) before the house was dissolved, the party's role in politics appears to be diminishing.

But Mizuho Fukushima, leader of the SDP, describes the attention given to the LDP and the DPJ as that of two slices of bread that need a piece of ham. That, she says, is the SDP.

As Japan heads towards what is shaping up to become one of the most watched and anticipated elections in recent memory, what role does the SDP hope to play in the Diet and, perhaps, with a future government. On August 13 Fukushima will be at the FCCJ to explain.

Mizuho Fukushima was born in Miyazaki. She graduated from the University of Tokyo and became a lawyer. She first won a seat in the upper house of parliament in 1998 and assumed her current post as the leader of the SDP in 2003.

Mizuho Fukushima