Kawaguchi in Kanagawa by-election

YOKOHAMA (Kyodo) Former Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi filed her candidacy Thursday for the Oct. 23 House of Councilors by-election in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Kawaguchi, 64, will run on the Liberal Democratic Party ticket against two other women -- Hiroe Makiyama, 41, of the Democratic Party of Japan, and Kimie Hatano, 48, of the Japanese Communist Party, the local election board said.

Makiyama is a TV director-turned-lawyer. Hatano is a former member of the upper chamber.

Kawaguchi was until recently a special adviser to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. She previously served as environment minister and foreign minister after working in the former Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

Makiyama used to be a director at Tokyo Broadcasting System Inc. She is certified as a lawyer in the United States and has been a legal expert for several companies.

Hatano, a former teacher, is a member of the JCP's Central Committee.

The by-election will be held to fill the vacancy left by Tsuyoshi Saito of the DPJ, who lost his Upper House seat when he ran in the Sept. 11 House of Representatives election, competing unsuccessfully against Koizumi in the prime minister's home constituency, Kanagawa No. 11.