WASHINGTON -- The devastating loss by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling coalition in Sunday's general election has put U.S. officials -- in the White House, the State Department and the intelligence community -- on the back foot, sending them scrambling to assess the potential harm to a security alliance that had been seen as being in a golden era.
Ishiba was elected prime minister less than a month ago after defeating hawkish rival Sanae Takaichi in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election. Now he is racing to court small parties to stay in power.
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