Tokyo (Japan): Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday announced the dissolution of the House of Representatives, triggering a snap general election as she seeks a renewed public mandate on the opening day of the current ordinary session of the National Diet, according to Kyodo News.
The decision to dissolve the lower house was taken on Friday. Addressing a press conference in Tokyo, Takaichi said she has tied her continuation as prime minister to the outcome of the election, signalling confidence in her government’s performance and policy direction.
Senior leaders of the ruling parties indicated that polling is likely to be held on February 8, with the official election campaign expected to begin on January 27.
The upcoming election will be the first since Takaichi assumed office as Japan’s first woman prime minister on October 21. It will also mark the first electoral test for the newly formed coalition between her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), finalised just a day earlier.
Takaichi aims to capitalise on strong Cabinet approval ratings to seek voter endorsement for her “responsible yet aggressive” fiscal policy agenda and the new coalition framework, Kyodo News reported.
The snap poll comes less than 18 months after the previous House of Representatives election held in October 2024. Under Japan’s Constitution, members of the lower house serve four-year terms unless the chamber is dissolved earlier.
Last week, Takaichi had informed senior ruling party leaders of her intention to dissolve the lower house at an early stage of the 150-day regular Diet session, citing the need for political stability and effective governance.
Her administration has faced challenges in managing parliamentary proceedings, as the LDP-led bloc holds only a slim majority in the lower house and lacks a majority in the House of Councillors, requiring cooperation from opposition parties to pass key legislation.
Meanwhile, opposition forces have begun consolidating ahead of the election. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, a former long-time LDP ally, have agreed to form the Centrist Reform Alliance, which is expected to emerge as the largest opposition bloc in the contest.
Opposition parties have criticised Takaichi’s decision to call an early election, alleging that it places political strategy above legislative priorities, particularly the passage of the fiscal 2026 initial budget.
