Japan heads to the polls

Japan went to the polls today in an election predicted to deliver a rebuke to conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after a raft of scandals.

Nearly 105 million people are eligible to vote in the election for the upper house of parliament, which opinion polls predict could switch to opposition control.

Polling stations opened at 7am (10am NZT) and will stay open until 8pm, after which the first exit poll results are expected.