Government sources say Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio does not intend to dissolve the Lower House this year. Kishida intends to focus on economic measures to tackle rising prices for the time being.

The four-year term of Lower House lawmakers passed the halfway mark last month. Members of both the ruling and opposition parties have been commenting and speculating about when Kishida would dissolve the lower chamber for a general election.

Kishida reshuffled his Cabinet in September, but his ratings have continued to slump. The resignation last month of a state justice minister and a parliamentary vice-minister of education and culture have added to his woes.

Kishida aims to pass a supplementary budget to fund his economic package during the extraordinary session of the Diet, which runs through December 13.

The prime minister will also be hosting a special summit meeting of Japanese and ASEAN leaders in Tokyo next month. Kishida is believed to have determined it was not a good time to dissolve the Lower House with his tight political schedule.

Kishida said during a news conference last week that he will focus on challenges that cannot be put off.

He intends to carefully determine the appropriate timing for dissolving the Lower House with an eye on the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election set for autumn 2024 and his Cabinet's approval rating through early next year and beyond.