FACTBOX - The Japanese parties that may jockey for power after election

Following are the main players in the post-election jockeying for power:

LDP

Having ruled for almost all of Japan's postwar period, Ishiba's conservative LDP has struggled with voters angry about a months-long political funding scandal.

The party promised to clean up its finances ahead of the election but allowed most of more than 40 lawmakers who failed to record political donations to stand for the party.

The party of Ishiba, who called the election immediately after Fumio Kishida resigned to take responsibility for the scandal, also faces public dissatisfaction over rising prices.

The LDP, which entered the election with 247 seats, fell to 191 seats, short of the 233 needed for a majority that it had single-handedly held since 2012 in the lower house.

KOMEITO

The LDP's longtime coalition partner has helped it keep control of parliament for most of the past two decades, apart from three years when the parties were out of power from 2009.

Affiliated with Japan's largest lay-Buddhist organisation, Soka Gakkai, Komeito supports the LDP during campaigning, its vast network providing election volunteers.

In return for its support, Komeito gets the Land Transport and Infrastructure post in the cabinet and is consulted on policy.

Komeito has been less willing than the LDP to step back from the pacifism that has marked Japan since its World War Two loss, including decisions to double military spending, arm the country with longer-range weapons and end rules that limit military exports.

The party, which was defending 32 seats, took 24 seats. Its new leader, Keiichi Ishii, lost in his district.

CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRATS

Japan's largest opposition group, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the rump of the party that ousted the LDP in 2009, fought this campaign by attacking the LDP over its funding scandal and by promising measures to tackle inflation.

Yoshihiko Noda, prime minister for a year before the LDP returned to power in 2012, became leader of the centre-left party in September.

If the LDP-Komeito coalition cannot cobble together a majority, the CDPJ could try to form a government with other opposition parties.

The party added 50 seats, taking 148.

JAPAN INNOVATION PARTY

The third-largest party in the lower house before the election with 44 seats, the right-wing group led by Donald Trump admirer Nobuyuki Baba is aligned with the LDP on security policy, including increased defence spending and a proposal to revise the country's war-renouncing constitution.

On Sunday, Baba ruled out the possibility of working with the LDP in a post-election administration.

Originating in the industrial western city of Osaka, the Innovation Party advocates for smaller government and in the lower house election campaign pledged to clean up politics with stricter rules on donations, as well as welfare and education reforms.

The party fell to 38 seats while remaining in third place.

DEMOCRATIC PARTY FOR THE PEOPLE

Despite coming into the election with just seven seats, the DPP might emerge as a kingmaker.

Formed in 2020 by former Democratic Party lawmakers who declined to join the CDPJ, it advocates cutting Japan's sales tax and income taxes, and health insurance contributions.

Party leader Yuichiro Tamaki, a former finance ministry bureaucrat, was a senior party member during the Democrat-led government from 2009. Before this election, he said he would not go into a coalition with the LDP but said on Sunday that he would not rule out some cooperation depending on the policies.

The DPP expanded to 28 seats.