The loss on Sunday left the Liberal Democrats a minority party in both houses of Parliament, while two new nationalist parties surged.

TOKYO -- The day after the drubbing of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Sunday's upper house election, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba struggled to contain party lawmakers increasingly critical of his decision to stay on.

Exit polls suggest Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's coalition is likely to lose a majority its majority in the smaller of Japan’s two parliamentary houses in a key election.