Japan votes in parliamentary election

Voters in Japan began to cast their ballots, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc looks to do well in the upper house election on Sunday. Abe’s win could mean Japan’s first stable government since 2006, Reuters reported. He hopes to revive the country's economy with his "Abenomics" mix of hyper-easy monetary policy, fiscal spending and structural reform. But, some critics fear that Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party comeback may distract the leader from his goals and he may shift to a more conservative agenda like bringing back the post-war pacifist constitution and re-branding Tokyo's wartime history in a less apologetic tone. Voting began at 7 am (22:00 GMT) and will close at 8 pm (11:00 GMT). Final results are expected late on Sunday or early on Monday. Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito are predicted to win more than 70 of the 121 seats up for grabs in the election for the 242-seat upper house.