Japan ruling coalition wins super majority

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition won a landslide victory yesterday in an election for parliament's upper house, despite concerns about his economic policies and plans to revise the nation's post-war pacifist constitution for the first time.

Media projections showed Abe's coalition, like-minded parties and independents had won the two-thirds "super majority" needed to try to revise the constitution's restraints on the military, a step that could strain ties with China, where memories of Japan's past militarism run deep.

Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) fell short of winning a simple majority, which would have increased its clout within the coalition.

Any attempt to revise the constitution will still be politically fraught and LDP heavyweights have suggested that amending the pacifist Article 9 would not be the first priority.

Abe said he had won a mandate for his economic policies in the election, although the assertion could be weakened by low turnout.  Kyodo news agency put turnout at about 54 percent, a bit above the record low of 52.61 percent seen in the last upper house poll three years ago.

Abe said he would reshuffle his cabinet but did not say when or how. There has been speculation that Abe might replace Finance Minister Taro Aso, 75, among others.