Tokyo, July 29, SPA -- About 100 million eligible voters began casting their ballots Sunday across Japan for the election of half of the 242 seats in the House of Councilors, the upper chamber in the Japaneseparliament. The vote is the first national election since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office in September 2006, according to a report of DPA. Although, technically, upper house elections are not to select the prime minister, the Sunday's election will be seen as a referendum on Abe's performance.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/471162