Japan's new centre-left Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Wednesday survived a no-confidence motion after bitter exchanges in parliament kicked off campaigning for an upper house election next month. The motion was defeated by 315 votes against 153. The conservative opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) submitted the motion after the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) changed leaders last week, arguing the new prime minister had no popular mandate. Kan last week replaced Yukio Hatoyama who resigned amid political funding scandals and a dispute over a US airbase after less than nine months in office.