Sanae Takaichi Calls for Snap Election in Japan

Mon Jan 19 2026 21:50:58 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Just three months into her tenure, Japan's first female prime minister Sanae Takaichi has announced a snap election, aiming to strengthen her party's majority in the House of Representatives amidst rising public support.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced the dissolution of parliament and plans for an early election on February 8. This decision, made within three months of her taking office, seeks to leverage her significant public approval. While the election could empower Takaichi's administration to push through ambitious policies, it carries risks, given the historical instability within the ruling party and the emergence of a consolidated opposition.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will dissolve parliament on Friday, paving the way for an early election on 8 February that she hopes will translate her strong public polling into a big majority in the lower house.

It was an extremely weighty decision that would determine Japan's course together with the people, Takaichi told a news conference in Tokyo.

The country's first female leader and her cabinet have enjoyed high public support since taking office last October.

But her party lags behind in polls and the move is risky. It's Japan's second general election in as many years and will test appetite for her plans to boost public spending when cost-of-living is top of voters' minds.

Since being elected as prime minister by lawmakers on 21 October, Takaichi is now seeking a public mandate in the House of Representatives, the more powerful house in Japan. She expressed concerns that her cabinet has not been tested in an election where the public chooses the government.

Is Sanae Takaichi fit to be prime minister? I wanted to ask the sovereign people to decide, she added.

Campaigning for the vote to elect the 465 lower house MPs, who serve four-year terms, starts on 27 January.

Her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has governed Japan almost continuously since 1955. It currently holds 199 seats in the House of Representatives, the most of any party, but its coalition with the Japan Innovation party results in a fragile majority.

Takaichi aims to secure a sole majority in parliament and implement bolder policies as opinion polls indicate that the LDP remains broadly unpopular, despite her impressive approval ratings of 60-80%.

This move comes amid challenges, including a newly consolidated opposition and potential risks of failure seen in past leadership changes.

Takaichi has hinted that the dissolution of parliament is being conducted after establishing a system to not disrupt economic policies affecting livelihoods and inflation.

The forthcoming elections will reveal if her popularity can sustain the party's governance and allow her to fulfill her agenda.