Japanese voters went to the polls on Sunday (July 10) for a parliamentary election that may give the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) a surge of support after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a dominant politician and power broker.
Office worker Mika Ito, 55, said she came to vote hoping that this election could make what Abe had done for the country worthwhile.
Elections for seats in parliament’s less powerful upper house are typically seen as a referendum on the sitting government, and opinion polls before the assassination already pointed to a strong showing for the ruling bloc led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, an Abe protege.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. (2200 GMT on Saturday) and close at 8 p.m. (1100 GMT), when initial exit poll results are expected.