The opening of the polls marked the start of voting in Japan’s general election in which Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is seeking a new term amid criticism over a political fund scandal within the ruling party.
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), together with its coalition partner Komeita, wants to keep the majority in the House of Representatives, which has a total of 465 seats.
Media polls, however, show that the ruling coalition faces a tough challenge.
Election results are expected tomorrow.
More than 1,300 candidates are fighting for 465 seats in the parliament.
Prime Minister Ishiba, who took office on October 9, has promised to tackle inflation and strengthen the country’s defenses.
However, his LDP is facing backlash due to financial scandals that have caused public discontent.
The opposition, led by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, seeks to use that discontent to threaten the dominance of the ruling bloc, AA writes.
