Prime Minister Taro Aso revealed the campaign platform for his ruling Liberal Democratic Party on July 31, pledging to bring about 2 percent economic growth in the second half of 2010 and boost Japan's per capita income to among the highest in the world within 10 years.

Prime Minister Taro Aso explains the Liberal Democratic Party's manifesto at LDP headquarters in Tokyo on July 31. KYODO PHOTO

In unveiling the LDP platform for the Aug. 30 Lower House election, Aso also mentioned a future consumption tax hike in an attempt to pitch the LDP as a responsible force capable of leading the country to prosperity at a time when it is facing a legitimate chance of losing power for only the second time in decades.

Critics said the LDP's platform lacked punch and many of the promises lacked specific measures and the funding needed to carry them out.

"There were no surprises in the manifesto and it lacked punch," said Tomoaki Iwai, a political science professor at Nihon University. "There is no real change because the LDP is relying on existing methods based on the rules made by the bureaucrats."

One relatively detailed pledge is aimed at abolishing the prefecture system and reorganizing the country into regional blocs. The LDP would enact a fundamental law to form the blocs and aim to launch the new system within six to eight years after enactment around 2017.

Political analysts, however, said the LDP was looking too far into the future and its platform should have instead focused on the next four years — the official term of the House of Representatives.

"A manifesto is not supposed to be talking about such a long term — it should be more about (what the party plans on doing) in the next four years," Iwai said.