Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito, have secured a majority of seats in the Lower House. Abe had set it as a benchmark for victory in today's general election. The governing coalition has already secured at least 233 seats, a majority in the powerful chamber. The coalition also controls the Upper House.<br/><br/>The majority is vital to Mr Abe's ambition to revise Japan's post-war, pacifist constitution. Article 9 of the Constitution, enacted by the country's American occupiers in 1947, calls for the complete renunciation of war. Japan has worked around the rule by stating that its army exists for the purposes of defence, but Mr Abe has long made it clear that he wishes to revise it. <br/>The election raises Mr Abe's chances of securing a third three-year-term as leader of the LDP when the party votes next September. That would give him the opportunity to become Japan's longest serving Prime Minister, having been elected in 2012.<br/><br/>Japan went to the polls today as Typhoon Lan lashed parts of the country. Mr Abe called the election early amid rebounding approval ratings and disarray among the opposition.