Japanese voters head to polls

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.

Voter turnout was high, fuelled in part by a dramatic campaign that broke new ground with the emergence of media-driven image politics and a sharper focus on policy. Reform has been the catchword of nearly all parties, even though they rarely agree on its meaning.