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I think in some respects we have not completely lived up to the expectations of the voters who gave us power nine months ago hoping to clean up politics," Renho, a popular Democratic Party member who was expected to keep her seat, said of the early results in a televised interview.

"I think the atmosphere has changed quite a bit since the elections last summer," added Renho, who goes by one name.

The LDP, now the main opposition party, appears to have done better than expected, winning 48 to 50 seats, according to media outlets' predictions. That would give them 81 to 83 seats in the chamber, up from 71 before the election.

While the Democrats scored points for freezing many public works projects viewed as wasteful, the public was sorely disappointed by former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's involvement in a funding scandal and his failure to keep a campaign promise to move a contentious U.S. Marine base off the southern island of Okinawa.

Kan may have contributed to voter doubts about the Democrats' leadership when he appeared to backpedal on his tax hike talk after his initially buoyant approval ratings started to slide. In the waning days of the campaign, he promised that any tax increase wouldn't happen until after the next lower house election, which must be held within three years, and that he wanted a public mandate for any tax decision that was made.

"We are praying as we watch the results come in," said Jun Azumi, a senior Democratic Party official. He added that voters may have been reacting to Kan's suggestion that an increase in the sales tax may be in the offing.

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Exit polls: Japan's ruling party loses seats

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