TOKYO: A no-confidence vote put forward by the main opposition party against embattled Speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda was defeated in Japan's lower house of parliament on Thursday.

The ruling coalition, which controls Japan's bicameral Parliament's more powerful lower house, rejected the motion, but will have to vote on another no-confidence motion against the cabinet submitted by the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ), as an upper house election looms next month, according to Xinhua news agency. 

According to the CDPJ, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cabinet did "nothing in reaction to Japan's skyrocketing prices." The two no-confidence petitions were filed ahead of the conclusion of the 150-day parliamentary term on Wednesday, and ahead of the start of campaigning for the upper chamber election later this month.

Tsuyoshi Takagi, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) Diet affairs leader, told a press conference before the vote that "no defect in the government management or the Diet operation equates to no-confidence." The CDPJ has denied this assertion.  "It is true that many people are concerned and dissatisfied," said Junya Ogawa, policy director of the CDPJ.

"It is our job to speak on their behalf. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Mr. Hosoda have a crucial opportunity to reflect on themselves" Ogawa said.

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