TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Monday stressed the need to establish a common understanding among parties on the pros and cons of cutting the country's sales tax rate. Cutting the sales tax could increase household income temporarily,

Japan's ruling coalition, led by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, lost its majority in the upper house, intensifying political uncertainty amid economic woes and rising populism. Voters expressed frustration over stagnant wages,

Japanese voters headed to the polls on Sunday in a tightly contested election amid public frustration over rising prices and the imminent threat of US tariffs. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition partner Komeito need to secure a combined 50 seats to retain an overall majority in the upper house but the latest polling shows they might fall short.