Japan actor-turned politician aims for real-life starring role

FILE PHOTO: Japan's lawmaker Taro Yamamoto of The People's Life Party & Taro Yamamoto and Friends shouts before his vote during the plenary session for a vote on security bills at the Upper House of the parliament in Tokyo, Japan, September 19, 2015. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese actor-turned-politician Taro Yamamoto is angling for a new real-life role in which he leads his novice party and allies to victory, ousts long-ruling conservatives and takes over as premier within the next few years.

Whether or not he can achieve that ambitious target, Yamamoto says his tiny Reiwa Shinsengumi party - which elected two seriously disabled candidates to parliament's upper house this month - is already having an impact.