Linda Sieg covered Japanese politics, economics and social issues at Reuters in Tokyo for over three decades, most recently as chief political correspondent. She is currently freelancing.

TOKYO–The blow to Japan’s long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Sunday’s election has sparked concern about rare political instability in the world’s fourth-largest economy, but for those worried about the potential rise of the kind of populist extremism seen abroad, the results provide some consolation: The center held — for now.