Shinzo Abe sweeps to resounding victory in Japan elections

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe swept to a resounding victory in a snap election on Sunday, winning a mandate to harden his already hawkish stance on North Korea and re-energise the world's number-three economy.

Abe's conservative coalition was on track to win 311 seats in the 465-seat parliament, according to a projection published by private broadcaster TBS, putting the blue-blooded nationalist on course to become Japan's longestserving leader. The comfortable election win is likely to stiffen Abe's resolve to tackle North Korea's nuclear threat, as the key US regional ally seeks to exert maximum pressure on Pyongyang after it fired two missiles over Japan in the space of a month.

Abe was heading for a "landslide win", the topselling Yomiuri daily said on its website, as the premier's gamble to hold a snap election appeared to be paying off.

But it was unclear in the immediate aftermath of the vote whether Abe's coalition would retain its two-thirds "supermajority," requiring 310 seats, as some media had it falling just short.

A "supermajority" would allow Abe to propose changes to pacifist Japan's US-imposed constitution that forces it to renounce war and effectively limits its military to a self- defence role.

Millions of Japanese braved torrential rain and driving winds to vote as a typhoon bears down on the country, with many heeding warnings to cast their ballots early.