Japan's former Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa officially announced candidacy for the Feb. 9 Tokyo gubernatorial race on Wednesday.

Hosokawa, who is 76-year-old, speaking at a press conference at the metropolitan government building just a day before the official campaign starts that he would work for ending all nuclear power generation in Japan in the future.

He said the nuclear accident in 2011 made him worry about the future of the country and run in the gubernatorial election. "Restarting the nuclear reactors while we still have no place to dispose nuclear waste is a criminal act towards future generations," Hosokawa said in the opening of his 80-minute press conference.

"Some people say it's inappropriate to make the issue of nuclear energy the focus of the upcoming election," Hosokawa said. "But without doubt, it's the biggest issue because it threatens people's lives and assets."

"If a massive earthquake hits Japan again, we can't pay attention to the Olympics or the Trans-Pacific Partnership," he referred to the 2020 Summer Olympics to be hosted by Tokyo and the ongoing free trade talks involving 12 Pacific countries including Japan and the United States.

According to Hosokawa, if being elected, he would set up a Tokyo strategic council on nuclear energy as quickly as possible and try to prevent a possible restart of idled nuclear reactors.

In 1983, Hosokawa was elected governor of Kumamoto, and served two terms until 1991. The following year he formed Japan New Party, and was its only member in the beginning. But in the 1993 Lower House election, the party won 35 seats. As a result of the 1993 election, the LDP lost its majority, paving the way for Hosokawa to become the first non-LDP prime minister in 38 years. Endi

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