Abe's election win opens way to revise Constitution

Significance

The governing coalition led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) made gains, with the LDP itself now controlling exactly half the seats in the chamber. Parties in favour of revising Japan's Constitution captured the two-thirds supermajority necessary to call a referendum on the question for the first time ever.

Impacts

• An economic stimulus package is likely soon.
• Parliamentary opposition to relocation of the US Futenma airbase has strengthened -- a setback for Japan-US relations.
• New foreign policy initiatives are likely in the near future.
• Cooperation among opposition parties paid off, and may become more common in future.