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Protests in Bangkok

BANGKOK, Thailand - Antigovernment demonstrators gather in central Bangkok on Feb. 2, 2014, the day a general election was held.

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Protests in Bangkok

BANGKOK, Thailand - Antigovernment demonstrators gather in central Bangkok on Feb. 2, 2014, the day a general election was held.

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Osaka Mayor Hashimoto

OSAKA, Japan - Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto (R), who is also co-head of the opposition Japan Restoration Party, and Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui, who is also secretary general of the JRP, look at each other during a press conference in Osaka on Feb. 3, 2014. Hashimoto officially announced his resignation as mayor and said he will run again in a mayoral election to gain support for his main policy goal -- the merger of Osaka prefectural and municipal governments.

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Osaka Mayor Hashimoto

OSAKA, Japan - Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto (R), who is also co-head of the opposition Japan Restoration Party, speaks at a press conference in Osaka on Feb. 3, 2014. Hashimoto officially announced his resignation as mayor and said he will run again in a mayoral election to gain support for his main policy goal -- the merger of Osaka prefectural and municipal governments. At left is Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui, who is also secretary general of the JRP.

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Demonstration in Thailand

BANGKOK, Thailand - Photo shows a base of antigovernment demonstrators in central Bangkok, Thailand, on Feb. 3, 2014, the day following a general election.

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Nagasaki gubernatorial election

NAGASAKI, Japan - Incumbent Nagasaki Gov. Hodo Nakamura (C) celebrates in the city of Nagasaki after securing a second four-year term in the gubernatorial election on Feb. 2, 2014, defeating Toshihiko Haraguchi, secretary general of the Japanese Communist Party's Nagasaki chapter.

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Nagasaki gubernatorial election

NAGASAKI, Japan - Incumbent Nagasaki Gov. Hodo Nakamura (L) receives flowers in the city of Nagasaki after securing a second four-year term in the gubernatorial election on Feb. 2, 2014, defeating Toshihiko Haraguchi, secretary general of the Japanese Communist Party's Nagasaki chapter.

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Election in Thailand

BANGKOK, Thailand - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra casts her vote in Bangkok as a general election is held on Feb. 2, 2014.

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Election in Thailand

BANGKOK, Thailand - A voter casts her ballot in Bangkok as a general election is held in Thailand on Feb. 2, 2014.

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Protests in Bangkok

BANGKOK, Thailand - Antigovernment demonstrators march in Bangkok on Feb. 1, 2014, a day before a general election called by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

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Protests in Bangkok

BANGKOK, Thailand - Antigovernment demonstrators march in Bangkok on Feb. 1, 2014, a day before a general election called by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

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Protests in Bangkok

BANGKOK, Thailand - Antigovernment demonstrators in Bangkok on Feb. 1, 2014, call for not casting ballots in a general election the following day.

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Protests in Bangkok

BANGKOK, Thailand - Antigovernment demonstrators flee as pro-government supporters fire guns in Bangkok on Feb. 1, 2014, a day before a general election called by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

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Abe re-elected as Japan PM at post-election Diet session

TOKYO, Japan - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (C back) stands up after being re-elected as Japan's prime minister during a plenary session of the House of Representatives in Tokyo on Dec. 24, 2014, the first day of a special three-day Diet session convened after his Liberal Democratic Party won a landslide victory in the Dec. 14 lower house general election.

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Abe re-elected as Japan PM at post-election Diet session

TOKYO, Japan - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (C) stands up after being re-elected as Japan's prime minister during a plenary session of the House of Representatives in Tokyo on Dec. 24, 2014, the first day of a special three-day Diet session convened after his Liberal Democratic Party won a landslide victory in the Dec. 14 lower house general election.

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Abe re-elected as Japan PM at post-election Diet session

TOKYO, Japan - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (C) stands up after being re-elected as Japan's prime minister during a plenary session of the House of Representatives in Tokyo on Dec. 24, 2014, the first day of a special three-day Diet session convened after his Liberal Democratic Party won a landslide victory in the Dec. 14 lower house general election.

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Calligraphers write names of newly elected lawmakers

TOKYO, Japan - Calligraphers write on plates on Dec. 17, 2014, the names of legislators newly elected to the lower house of the Diet in the Dec. 14 general election at a lacquerware wholesaler in Tokyo ahead of an extraordinary parliamentary session to be convened on Dec. 24.

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Writing of new lower house members' names in full swing

TOKYO, Japan - Calligraphers are busy writing on plates on Dec. 17, 2014, the names of legislators newly elected to the lower house of the Diet in the Dec. 14 general election at a lacquerware wholesaler in Tokyo ahead of an extraordinary parliamentary session to be convened on Dec. 24.

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Ex-secretary general Hosono to run in DPJ leadership election

TOKYO, Japan - Goshi Hosono (C), former secretary general of the Democratic Party of Japan, leaves a general meeting of DPJ Diet members at the party's headquarters in Tokyo's Nagatacho district on Dec. 17, 2014. Hosono said the same day he will run in the largest opposition party's leadership race on Jan. 18 to pick a successor to outgoing DPJ President Banri Kaieda.

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Ex-secretary general Hosono to run in DPJ leadership election

TOKYO, Japan - Goshi Hosono, former secretary general of the Democratic Party of Japan, announces in Tokyo on Dec. 17, 2014, his candidacy for the largest opposition party's leadership race on Jan. 18 to pick a successor to outgoing DPJ President Banri Kaieda.

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Prof. Curtis gives press conference in Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan - Columbia University professor Gerald Curtis speaks at Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2014, providing his analysis on the ruling coalition's landslide win in the Dec. 14 general election.

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Lawyers file suits to nullify election results

TOKYO, Japan - Lawyers attend a press conference in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2014, after filing a lawsuit to seek to nullify the results of the Dec. 14 general election in Japan because of the disparity in the weight of votes among districts. Two groups of lawyers filed such suits with eight high courts and six branches across Japan.

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DPJ leader Kaieda says to resign over election loss

TOKYO, Japan - Opposition Democratic Party of Japan leader Banri Kaieda makes a bow to reporters at the end of a a press conference at the party headquarters in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2014, a day after he lost his own parliamentary seat in the general election. He said he will step down to take responsibility for the loss.

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Japan should follow "peaceful" path, China says

BEIJING, China - Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang attends a press conference in Beijing on Dec. 15, 2014, a day after Japan's ruling coalition marked a landslide victory in a general election. He urged Japan to remain a peaceful country.

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DPJ leader Kaieda says to resign over election loss

TOKYO, Japan - Opposition Democratic Party of Japan leader Banri Kaieda attends a press conference at the party headquarters in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2014, a day after he lost his own parliamentary seat in the general election. He said he will step down to take responsibility for the loss.

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Ruling bloc retains control, DPJ leader Kaieda to resign

TOKYO, Japan - Combination photo shows Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R) attending at a press conference in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2014, following the ruling coalition's landslide victory in the general election the previous day. Opposition Democratic Party of Japan leader Banri Kaieda said the same day he will resign after losing his own seat in the election.

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Abe to seek re-election as LDP chief after landslide victory

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attends a press conference at the Liberal Democratic Party's headquarters in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2014, following the previous day's general election victory. Abe said he will seek re-election as LDP president in the party leadership race next September.

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Abe to seek re-election as LDP chief after landslide victory

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attends a press conference at the Liberal Democratic Party's headquarters in Tokyo on Dec. 15, 2014, following the previous day's general election victory. Abe said he will seek re-election as LDP president in the party leadership race next September.

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Lawyers file suits seeking annulment of general election

HIROSHIMA, Japan - A group of lawyers attends a press conference in the western Japan city of Hiroshima on Dec. 15, 2014, after filing a lawsuit to seek the annulment of the previous day's general election, which was held without correcting the vote-value disparity.

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Lawyers file suits seeking annulment of general election

OKAYAMA, Japan - A group of lawyers heads for the Okayama branch of the Hiroshima High Court in the western Japan city of Okayama on Dec. 15, 2014, to file a lawsuit, seeking the annulment of the previous day's general election, which was held without correcting the vote-value disparity.

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JCP's Akamine reiterates opposition to base transfer

NAHA, Japan - Japanese Communist Party's Seiken Akamine meets with reporters at his home in Naha, the capital of the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, on Dec. 15, 2014, a day after winning his seat in the Okinawa No. 1 constituency in the general election. He reiterated his opposition to the planned relocation of a major U.S. base within the island prefecture.

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Suzuki meets with reporters

KUSHIRO, Japan - Takako Suzuki, who ran in the general election on the ticket of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, meets with reporters in the northeastern city of Kushiro on Dec. 15, 2014, a day after securing her lower house seat under the proportional representation system, although she was defeated in the single-seat electoral district.

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LDP to win lower house majority

TOKYO, Japan - Yukio Edano, secretary general of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, receives the results of the lower house election at the DPJ's headquarters in Tokyo's Nagatacho district on the night of Dec. 14, 2014. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party will likely secure a majority in the election, according to Kyodo News exit polls and projections.

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LDP to win lower house majority

TOKYO, Japan - Sadakazu Tanigaki, secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, smiles during an interview for TV broadcasts on the results of the lower house election at the LDP's headquarters in Tokyo's Nagatacho district on the night of Dec. 14, 2014. The LDP will likely secure a majority in the election, according to Kyodo News exit polls and projections.

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Voting under way in Japan's lower house election

OSHU, Japan - Voters walk to a polling station to cast their ballots in the general election amid snow in the city of Oshu in the northern Japan prefecture of Iwate on Dec. 14, 2014. A total of 1,191 candidates are vying for the 475 seats in the House of Representatives -- 295 for single-seat districts and 180 for proportional representation districts.

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PM Abe makes last-ditch effort on final day of campaign

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, also the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, makes a speech in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on Dec. 13, 2014, as part of a last-ditch effort on the final day of the general election campaign.

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DPJ's Kaieda makes last-ditch efforts on final day of campaign

TOKYO, Japan - Banri Kaieda, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, makes last-ditch efforts on Dec. 13, 2014, the final day of the general election campaign, in Tokyo's busy Shinjuku area.

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Wide areas of Japan under snowfall warning for election day

AOMORI, Japan - A man works to clear snow from a sidewalk in the northeastern Japan city of Aomori on Dec. 13, 2014. The weather agency warned of heavy snow across wide areas of Japan on Dec. 14 when the country will go to the polls for a general election.

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Leaders make last-ditch efforts on final day of campaign

TOKYO, Japan - Photos taken on Dec. 13, 2014, show leaders of Japan's major political parties, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (top R) as the head of the Liberal Democratic Party, making last-ditch efforts on the final day of the general election campaign.

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Actress Nakama publicizes early voting for general election

TOKYO, Japan - Actress Yukie Nakama publicizes an early voting system for the Dec. 14, 2014, general election in Tokyo on Dec. 8.

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A-bomb survivor hopes peace discussed more in election

HIROSHIMA, Japan - Kazuo Okoshi, secretary general of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations (headed by Kazushi Kaneko), speaks at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan, on Dec. 3, 2014, of the importance of discussing the issues of peace and the Constitution during the current campaign for the lower house election on Dec. 14.

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Overseas ballot starts at Japan's diplomatic missions

SEOUL, South Korea - Japanese expats go through voting procedures for the Dec. 14 general election at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, on Dec. 3, 2014, following the opening of overseas ballots for those living abroad at 214 diplomatic missions around the world. Official campaigning for the House of Representatives race started on Dec. 2.

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Overseas ballot starts at Japan's diplomatic missions

BEIJING, China - Japanese expats go through voting procedures for the Dec. 14 general election at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, China, on Dec. 3, 2014, following the opening of overseas ballots for those living abroad at 214 diplomatic missions around the world. Official campaigning for the House of Representatives race started on Dec. 2.

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Election campaign begins with focus on "Abenomics"

SOMA, Japan - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe kicks off his party's campaign for the Dec. 14 general election in the disaster-hit northeastern Japan city of Soma on Dec. 2, 2014. Abe has said his "Abenomics" policy mix is the only way to end deflation and revive the economy.

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Election campaign begins with focus on "Abenomics"

SOMA, Japan - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe kicks off his party's campaign for the Dec. 14 general election in the disaster-hit northeastern Japan city of Soma on Dec. 2, 2014. Abe has said his "Abenomics" policy mix is the only way to end deflation and revive the economy.

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Campaigning starts for general election

SHIBUKAWA, Japan - Yuko Obuchi, who is running in the Dec. 14 general election with the backing of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, bows to her supporters in the central Japan city of Shibukawa on Dec. 2, 2014, the first day of the official campaigning. Obuchi gave up her trade minister post due to political fund scandal in October.

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Election campaign begins with focus on "Abenomics"

SOMA, Japan - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe kicks off his party's campaign for the Dec. 14 general election in the disaster-hit northeastern Japan city of Soma on Dec. 2, 2014. Abe has said his "Abenomics" policy mix is the only way to end deflation and revive the economy.

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Election campaign begins with focus on "Abenomics"

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Communist Party chief Kazuo Shii kicks off his party's campaign for the Dec. 14 general election in Tokyo's busy Shinjuku district on Dec. 2, 2014. Opposition parties, including the JCP, are pushing alternatives to "Abenomics," the economic policy package of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which they say has widened the gap between haves and have-nots.

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Election campaign begins with focus on "Abenomics"

OSAKA, Japan - Toru Hashimoto, co-leader of the opposition Japan Innovation Party, kicks off his party's campaign for the Dec. 14 general election in Osaka on Dec. 2, 2014. The opposition camp will try to end the one-party dominance by the Liberal Democratic Party, which held nearly 300 of the 480 seats in the House of Representatives before it was dissolved two weeks ago.

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Campaigning starts for general election

TOKYO, Japan - Midori Matsushima, who is running in the Dec. 14 general election with the backing of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, waves to voters from a campaign car in Tokyo's Sumida Ward on Dec. 2, 2014, the first day of the official campaigning. Matsushima gave up her justice minister post over possible violation of the election law in October.