Former Japanese Prime Minister Kan Naoto has told NHK that he does not intend to run in the next Lower House election.

Kan said he has worked for many years in various capacities, such as prime minister and party leader, and it is time to pass the torch to the next generation. He added that he plans to share his decision with his supporters.

Kan is currently Chief Executive Advisor to the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party. The 77-year-old represents Tokyo's No.18 district.

Kan first won a Lower House seat in 1980 as a member of the Socialist Democratic Federation. He has since been elected to the chamber 14 times.

In 1996, he joined the Cabinet for the first time as health minister under a coalition government led by the Liberal Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party and New Party Sakigake. During his term, he became known for tackling the issue of HIV infections through tainted blood products.

He became leader and secretary-general of the Democratic Party, and served in the Cabinet of Hatoyama Yukio, which was inaugurated in 2009.

Kan succeeded Hatoyama as Prime Minister in 2010, and led the government in its response to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami and nuclear disaster that devastated northeastern Japan.

Kan later campaigned for the abolition of nuclear power plants. He also took part in the formation of the Constitutional Democratic Party.