Shinzo Abe wins re-election in Japan
Japan's ruling coalition has won a new two-thirds majority in parliamentary elections seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic policy.
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Japanese media reported that Mr Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) retained its House of Representatives majority.
The LDP will govern with the Buddhist-backed Komeito party after the two parties won 325 seats out of 475.
Prime Minister Abe called the snap vote to secure support for his "Abenomics" economic reforms.
Public broadcaster NHK said the LDP had won 290 seats, with Komeito taking 35.
The main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan, won 73 seats, an increase of 11, NHK said.
Mr Abe was elected in 2012 and has tried to revive the economy by raising public spending and printing money.
After an initial burst of growth, Japan slipped back into recession in the second half of this year, which many economists have blamed, at least in part, on an increase in sales tax, from five per cent to eight per cent in April.
Many Japanese were bemused by this election. Most thought it completely unnecessary. Some were angry at the huge waste of money.
The question now is how will he use that power? He says he is determined to push ahead with difficult and potentially unpopular economic reform.
His opponents on the left fear he will use it to push Japan further to the right - to try again to overturn Japan's pacifist constitution, and to further whitewash Japan's historic crimes during World War II.
Credit: BBC