Japan election: Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition secures large majority, exit polls suggest

Election victory would boost Prime Minister's chances to lead his party until 2021

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has led the Liberal Democratic Party to election victory (Reuters)

Japanese voters have returned Prime Minster Shinzo Abe’s ruling coalition to power in national elections, exit polls suggest.

Japanese media released result projections shortly after polls closed. Mr Abe dissolved the lower house less than a month ago, forcing the snap election.

He judged that the timing was right for his ruling Liberal Democratic Party to call an election, or at least better than waiting until the end of its term next year.

Up for grabs were 465 seats in the more powerful lower house, which chooses the Prime Minister.

His coalition was set to win 311 seats, keeping its two-thirds “super majority”, an exit poll by TBS television showed. Some other broadcasters had the ruling bloc slightly below the two-thirds mark.

An election victory would boost Mr Abe’s chances to head his party for another three years after his current term ends next September.

It could extend his premiership to 2021, giving him more time to pursue his longtime goal of revising Japan’s postwar constitution.