Osaka mayor, ex-Tokyo governor discuss political co-op

TOKYO - As the presidents of two new parties, former Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara and Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto held talks Friday morning to discuss political cooperation before the upcoming general election.

Ishihara, known for his strong nationalistic views, lunched a new party named Sunrise Party on Tuesday, aiming to form a "third force" that could challenge the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the House of Representatives election next month.

It's the second round talk between Ishihara and Hashimoto's Japan Restoration Party. Hashimoto refused to merge the two parties earlier, but agreed to find other way to cooperate.

The Sunrise party and Nogoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura's Genzei Nippon party had decided to merge on Thursday.