Japan Votes in Upper House Election
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Japanese voters headed to the polls Sunday to cast their ballot in a parliamentary election with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling party expected to cruise to victory despite lukewarm support.
Abe, in power since late 2012, has yet to achieve a strong recovery in the world's third-largest economy nor his cherished goal of removing a war-renouncing clause from Japan's US-imposed constitution.
But voters, despite misgivings, appear willing to boost his party and its conservative allies, due mostly to a lack of faith in the opposition.
Sunday's vote is for half the seats in the House of Councillors -- the less powerful upper house of parliament -- and polling stations across the country opened at 7:00 am (2200 GMT Saturday).
The vote outcome is expected to become clear shortly after the polls close at 8:00 pm, AFP reported.
Having been largely written off after a failed 2006-2007 stint as prime minister, Abe got a rare second chance when a left-leaning government collapsed in late 2012.
He promised to end debilitating deflation through massive easy money and other steps -- so-called Abenomics -- while beefing up Japan's defense, promoting conservative values and vowing to revise the constitution.
Initial results were favorable with stocks soaring and businesses reaping record profits as the yen fell, making Japanese companies more competitive.
But the world's third-largest economy has since lurched from growth to contraction, with weak consumer inflation still weighing on sentiment.
Katsuya Okada, head of the main opposition Democratic Party, separately told voters: "This is an important election, which is a watershed for Japan. Let's display our good sense as voters."
