<span style="color: #222222;">In Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition secured a majority in the upper house of parliament in elections today. According to vote counts by public television and other media, Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner Komeito had won 64 seats in the upper house after two hours of voting.Exit polls indicated Abe could even close in on the super-majority needed to propose constitutional revisions.   <br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The two-thirds majority needed for constitutional revision could be within reach if the ruling bloc can gain support from members of another conservative party and independents. Up for grabs were 124 seats in the less powerful of Japan's two parliamentary chambers. <br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">There are 245 seats in the upper house – which does not choose the prime minister – about half of which are elected every three years.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The results appeared to match or even exceed pre-election polls that indicated Abe's ruling bloc was to keep ground in the upper house, with most voters considering it a safer choice over an opposition with an uncertain track record. To reach the two-thirds majority, or 164 seats, Abe needs 85 more seats by his ruling bloc and supporters of a charter change.</span><br />