TOKYO — Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba faces an increasingly uphill battle in Sunday’s upper house election, and a loss could worsen political instability at a time of daunting challenges, such as rising prices and high U.S. tariffs.

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba faces an increasingly uphill battle in Sunday's upper house election, and a loss could worsen political instability at a time of daunting challenges, such as rising prices and high U.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba faces a reckoning from voters on Sunday with upper house elections that could end his premiership and see a right-wing populist party make inroads.One making inroads is the "Japanese-first" Sanseito,

TOKYO, July 17 (Reuters) - Japan's top trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa held talks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on U.S. tariffs on Thursday, as Tokyo races to avert a 25% levy that will be imposed unless a deal is clinched by an August 1 deadline.

The US treasury secretary said that a trade deal with Japan remained possible, following talks in Tokyo ahead of the looming August 1 imposition of new tariffs.