PM Ishiba survives Parliament vote ahead of possible Trump meeting

Japanese lawmakers voted for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to stay on as leader on Nov 11, after his scandal-tarnished coalition lost its parliamentary majority in a Lower House election in October.

Mr Ishiba called the snap polls after coming into office on Oct 1 and must now run a fragile minority government as protectionist Donald Trump regains control in the US, Japan's main ally, tension rises with rivals China and North Korea, and domestic pressure mounts to rein in the cost of living.

His Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and coalition partner Komeito won the biggest bloc of seats in the election but lost the majority held since 2012, leaving him beholden to small opposition parties to pass his policy agenda.

"In the light of the very challenging election, we must transform into a national party that serves the people, that empathizes with the people's struggles, their misery and their joy," Mr Ishiba said at a press conference after Parliament voted to keep him in his job.

Underlining his party's fragility, however, Nov 11's vote in Parliament, broadcast on television, went to a run-off for the first time in 30 years, with no candidate able to muster majority support in the first round.