Tokyo: Unpopular Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda could well suffer an embarrassing if non-binding censure in parliament's upper house next week, but for now the bet is he can keep his job at least for the rest of the year.

Japan's main opposition Democratic Party is likely to submit the rare censure motion against Fukuda in the opposition-controlled upper house, where it would almost certainly pass, party sources said on Thursday. "At least in the view of party executives, this is definite," Kyodo news agency quoted a top party official as saying. "After that, it's a question of timing."

Fukuda's ratings have slipped below 20 per cent in some polls as he has struggled to cope with a divided parliament, where the opposition has taken every opportunity to delay key legislation.