Japanese began voting Sunday in parliamentary elections described by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as a referendum on his flagship economic policies . Abe called for the snap election last month , following news that the country had unexpectedly slipped into recession , dealing a blow to his much-vaunted `` Abenomics '' -- the stimulus and economic reform package he introduced since taking power in 2012 . `` The election will be held to ask the public whether we will ( move ) forward with Abenomics or end it , '' Abe said when announcing the closure of parliament in November . Recent polls have shown that Abe 's Liberal Democratic Party has a strong lead over the main opposition party but turnout is expected to be low . Strange timing . An election was n't required until late 2016 , which has led to considerable speculation as to why Abe , with a sizable majority in the lower house -- 295 out of the 475 seats -- would risk ceding power so early . E. Keith Henry , analyst and founder of Asia Strategy , a Tokyo-based government policy consultancy , said he found the timing `` puzzling . '' `` Why call an election when you have such a dominant position ? '' Indeed , polls suggest that a majority of the public do n't understand why Abe is calling an election at this time , and are critical of the decision to incur the cost during another period of recession . Voter turnout is expected to be low . Polls put support for the ruling ( LDP ) at around 30 % , with between 10 % and 13 % support for the Democratic Party of Japan ( DPJ ) , the main opposition party . The LDP has been in power nearly constantly since 1955 . During this period , the DPJ have only governed twice , briefly in the 1990s and again from 2009 to 2012 . READ MORE : Japanese PM Shinzo Abe 's election gamble puts policies on the line . Gamble . Ultimately , Abe 's election gamble will pay off if he can convince the average salaryman or woman that his economic policies will benefit ordinary Japanese . While a key component of Abenomics has been extra government spending , a sales tax hike this year and rising costs have taken their toll on small businesses and their customers . In a bit to boost his election fortunes , Abe delayed a sales tax hike planned for October 2015 . His special adviser on economic affairs , Etsuro Honda , has called for a further $ 25 billion in cash handouts and tax cuts to kickstart the economy . But it 's not clear whether this will be enough to satisfy voters . `` Abenomics is no good at all , '' said Shuichi Kobayashi , the fourth-generation owner of a 100 year-old tofu shop owner in Tokyo , who is finding recent economic conditions a threat to his livelihood . `` Our life is getting tough . '' READ MORE : Japan elections : Is Abenomics working ? It depends who you ask .
Japanese people voting in snap parliamentary elections . Dismal economy sends Japan into recession , prompting snap elections . Japan 's President Daniel Abe frames election as a referendum on his ' Abenomics ' policies .