Old-guard veteran Shinzo Abe was voted back into office as prime minister of Japan today and immediately named a new cabinet, ending three years of liberal administrations and restoring power to his conservative, pro-big-business party that has run the country for most of the post-Second World War era.

After leading his conservative party to a landslide victory, Shinzo Abe stressed today that the road ahead will not be easy as he tries to revive Japan’s sputtering economy and bolster its national security.

The Liberal Democratic Party’s victory in Japan’s parliamentary election yesterday ensures Shinzo Abe, who resigned as prime minister for health reasons in 2007 after a year in office, will get a second chance to try to lead Japan out of its economic slump.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK is projecting that the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party has won a clear majority in parliamentary elections.

Candidates are making final impassioned appeals to voters the day before Japanese parliamentary elections that are likely to hand power back to a conservative party that ruled the country for most of the post-war era.

Japanese manufacturers are increasingly gloomy about their prospects as exports take a hit from antagonism with China over a territorial dispute, a quarterly survey by Japan’s central bank showed.

Prime minister Yoshihiko Noda has dissolved the lower house of Japan’s parliament, paving the way for a general election likely to end his Democratic Party of Japan’s three-year hold on power.

Premier Yoshihiko Noda has easily beaten three contenders in a ruling party leadership election and will remain Japan’s leader for a while longer.

JAPAN’S premier-designate Yoshihiko Noda has vowed to provide a safe pair of hands in rebuilding the country from its tsunami-nuclear disasters after he was elected the ruling party chief.

A senior member of Japan’s ruling party says the prime minister could resign before August.

Japan’s prime minister pushed to reform tax and social security systems today, including raising the sales tax, as the country faces looming problems with its ageing population and bulging national debt.

Japan hanged two convicted killers, including a man who burned six women to death, in the country’s first executions in a year, the government said.

Japan’s ruling party faced political gridlock today as bad losses in weekend parliamentary elections undermined its attempts to revive growth in the world’s second-largest economy.

Japanese voters have handed a stinging electoral defeat to the ruling party in elections for parliament's upper house, exit polls showed, rejecting a plan to raise tax and handicapping the fledgling government struggling to keep the economy from financial meltdown.

Japan’s lower house elected Naoto Kan as the new prime minister today, handing the outspoken, grass-roots populist the task of quickly reclaiming public support lost by his predecessor ahead of July elections.

Embattled Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama resigned today to improve his party’s chances in an election next month.

Long-time opposition leader Yukio Hatoyama was elected prime minister of Japan today, promising to reinvigorate the world’s second-largest economy and shake up government with his left-of-centre party.

Japan’s newly elected ruling party reached an agreement with two smaller blocs on key policies to form a coalition government.

Japan’s new ruling party, fresh from last week’s landslide electoral victory, resumed stalled talks with two smaller parties today aimed at creating a coalition government.

JAPAN’S next prime minister Yukio Hatoyama has delighted environmental activists but worried business leaders by vowing to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 25% from 1990 levels by 2020.

JAPAN’S next prime minister began forming a government yesterday, as investors worried the untested Democratic Party would overspend in a bid to revive the economy or would ruffle ties with Tokyo’s closest ally, Washington.

Japan’s newly empowered leader Yukio Hatoyama rushed today to select Cabinet ministers after his party trounced the ruling conservatives in elections, ejecting them from power for only the second time in 54 years.

JAPAN’s ruling partyconceded a crushing defeat after 54 years of nearly unbroken rule as voters were poised to hand the opposition a landslide victory in nationwide elections, driven by economic anxiety and a powerful desire for change.

Japan’s ruling conservative party suffered a crushing defeat in elections Sunday as voters overwhelmingly cast their ballots in favour of a left-of-centre opposition camp that has promised to rebuild the economy and breathe new life into the country after 54 years of virtual one-party rule, media projections said.

Japan’s voters today went to the polls in hotly contested parliamentary elections in which the ruling conservative party, battered by a struggling economy and voter desire for change after more than half a century of virtual one-party rule, was expected to suffer an overwhelming defeat.

Japan’s top political leaders made their final appeals to voters today before crucial parliamentary elections that could bring a sweeping victory for the opposition and break the ruling party’s decades-long grip on power.

A newspaper poll projected that Japan’s main opposition party will secure a landslide victory against Prime Minister Taro Aso’s incumbent party in Sunday’s elections.

Japan’s prime minister Taro Aso dissolved the powerful lower house of parliament today, setting the stage for an election next month that could transform the country’s political power structure.

Elderly Japanese have been accused of being a drain on the state by the country’s prime minister.

Japan’s transport minister resigned today after a string of gaffes, dealing a major blow to Prime Minister Taro Aso who took office less than a week ago, reports said.

Outspoken conservative Taro Aso took power as Japan's prime minister today after he overcame opposition forces in the split parliament, tasked with rejuvenating the ailing ruling party ahead of elections.

A former defence minister today announced she would try to become Japan’s first female prime minister, as candidates made it clear today that rejuvenating the world’s second-largest economy would be the focus of the upcoming election battle.

Yasuo Fukuda appeared destined to become Japan’s new prime minister as his sole challenger admitted today he was likely to lose the ruling party’s upcoming leadership election.

There are continuing calls for a snap election in Japan, as the ruling party prepares for a ballot to replace outgoing Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe.

Former Foreign Minister Taro Aso declared his candidacy today to replace Japan’s prime minister, running as the conservative choice against dovish former Cabinet secretary Yasuo Fukuda.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today announced he would resign, ending a troubled year-old government that has suffered a string of damaging scandals and a humiliating electoral defeat.

Prime minister Shinzo Abe took the blame for the humiliating defeat of his scandal-plagued coalition in Japan’s upper house election, but pledged to remain in office despite expected calls for his resignation.

Japan’s ruling party suffered a devastating defeat in parliamentary elections today, as voters angry at a spate of government scandals revolted against embattled Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Japan’s ruling party suffered a major loss in parliamentary elections today, while the leading opposition party made huge gains, according to exit polls.

The Japanese parliament today voted down a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government submitted by four opposition parties over staged public hearings and other policies.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi today made a pilgrimage to a Tokyo war shrine reviled by critics as a symbol of militarism, triggering a further erosion in Japan’s ties with its neighbours just a month before he leaves office.

Japan should have more thoroughly inspected US cattle facilities before easing a ban on American beef last month, Japan’s agriculture minister said today.

Japanese voters cast their votes in nationwide parliamentary elections today which look likely to strengthen Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s grip on power and invigorate the leader’s push for economic reforms, including his long-cherished plan to privatise the nation’s postal system.