Japan's lower house passes budget in win for PM Kishida

FILE PHOTO: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends a bilateral meeting with Kenyan President William Ruto at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, Japan, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. Shuji Kajiyama/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's lower house of parliament passed the government's budget for the coming fiscal year in a rare Saturday session, a win for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida whose public support has slumped.

The vote ensures that the 112 trillion yen ($746 billion) budget, including relief funds for the New Year's Day earthquake on the Noto peninsula, will be enacted by the April 1 start of the fiscal year, regardless of what happens in the less-powerful upper house.