The era of predictable elections is over, though Prime Minister Ishiba vows to remain in office. Mr. Kirk, based in Seoul and Washington, has been covering Asia for decades for newspapers and magazines and is the author of books on Korea, the Vietnam War and the Philippines.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba faces an increasingly uphill battle in Sunday’s upper house election, and a loss could worsen political instability at a time of daunting challenges, such as rising prices and high U.

Ishiba on Monday vowed to remain in his job even though his LDP-led coalition finished Sunday running a government without a majority in both chambers of parliament for the first time

Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, which Prime Minister Ishiba leads, secured 47 seats in parliament, short of the 50 it needs for a majority.

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Monday stressed the need to establish a common understanding among parties on the pros and cons of cutting the country's sales tax rate. Cutting the sales tax could increase household income temporarily,

Japanese voters headed to the polls on Sunday in a tightly contested election amid public frustration over rising prices and the imminent threat of US tariffs. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition partner Komeito need to secure a combined 50 seats to retain an overall majority in the upper house but the latest polling shows they might fall short.