The ruling Liberal Democratic Party, its junior coalition partner, the Liberal Party, and New Komeito voted down a no-confidence motion Wednesday in the Lower House against Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi's Cabinet, 354-134.
The no-confidence motion had been submitted by the Democratic Party of Japan, the largest opposition force, late Tuesday night in a bid to prevent passage of a set of wiretapping bills.
The motion was filed after a Diet ruckus over final voting on the controversial bills, which would allow law enforcement authorities to eavesdrop on communications in some investigations. The Social Democratic Party and the Japanese Communist Party also supported the motion.