Voters in Japan are going to the polls in an upper house election seen as a test of the popularity of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his ruling coalition.

Polling stations opened nationwide at 7am on Sunday (22:00 GMT, Saturday) and will continue until 8pm (11:00 GMT) in most places, according to Japan’s national broadcaster, NHK.

The rising cost of living, especially for the staple food of rice, is a key issue for many voters, with population decline and foreign policy also on the agenda, according to NHK.

Opinion polls suggest Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and coalition partner Komeito may fall short of the 50 seats needed to retain control of the 248-seat upper house of parliament in an election where half of the seats are up for grabs.

A poor performance on Sunday woul

See Full Page