Parliament's upper house, controlled by a resurgent opposition, voted to reject legislation that would revive a limited version of Japan's six-year-long mission to provide fuel and other resources to US-led forces in Afghanistan.

But the powerful lower house, which is controlled by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's ruling coalition, was expected to overrule the vote later in the day with a two-thirds majority, ensuring Tokyo's ships can return to the Indian Ocean as early as next month.

Such a move is exceedingly rare in Japan, where the government strives to maintain the appearances of consensus rule. The last time the lower house overruled a rejection by the upper house was in 1951.

'It is of great detriment to Japan that this mission, which addresses international needs and is in our national interest, has been suspended,' ruling party lawmaker Akio Sato told parliament ahead of the vote.

'Japan must join the world in the fight against terrorism,' he said.

The approval would be a bitter victory for Mr Fukuda, who has been a staunch supporter of a continued presence for Japan in the region.

He was forced to withdraw the mission in November after a resurgent opposition blocked a renewal, a major embarrassment that cast doubt on how far Tokyo can back Washington in its global war on terrorist groups.

The main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, which took control of the upper chamber in elections last year, opposes the mission because it says military operations in Afghanistan do not have the explicit support from the United Nations.

The party has also raised concerns the mission violates Japan's pacifist constitution.

The Democrats have submitted an alternative bill that would focus more on humanitarian aid within Afghanistan, rather than support for military missions.

But the bill was not expected to win approval by the government-dominated lower house.

'We must first help fight poverty, and rebuild the lives of the Afghan people,' DPJ lawmaker Hiroe Makiyama told the upper house.

'That means we need to send shovels not guns, and water not fuel,' she said.

Mr Fukuda tried earlier to reach a compromise with the Democrats, even raising a power-sharing proposal between the two parties.

The DPJ refused to cooperate, however, triggering parliamentary gridlock and forcing Mr Fukuda to use the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's majority in the lower house to force the bill through parliament.

Despite the expected approval, Japan will be returning to the region on a scaled-down mission.

The new bill limits the country's deployment to refueling and supplying water to ships used in monitoring and inspecting vessels suspected of links to terrorism or arms smuggling.

Ships would be banned from refueling coalition vessels directly involved in military operations inside Afghanistan.

The new bill was passed by the lower house on Nov 13.

Prolonged debate in the opposition-controlled upper house spurred the ruling party to extend the parliamentary session by a month to mid-January to ensure the bill's approval.

Japan's naval mission in the region the past six years provided logistical support to forces involved in the war in Afghanistan.

It mainly supplied some 132 million gallons of fuel to coalition warships, including from the US, Britain and Pakistan, the Defense Ministry says.

A ministry official talking on condition of anonymity, citing protocol, said Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba will be able to order Japanese ships to prepare for departure as soon as parliament approves the bill, and that they could reach the Indian Ocean in about three weeks.

Public opinion polls show Japanese are gradually coming to accept a greater role for their troops abroad - as long as it does not involve combat. -- AP