Tokyo: Japan’s Prime Minister Sane Takaichi on Friday dissolved the lower house of parliament, paving the way for a snap general election on February 8. The move is widely seen as an attempt to capitalize on her strong public approval ratings to reinforce the ruling coalition, which has suffered significant setbacks in recent years.
However, the decision is expected to delay debate and voting on the national budget aimed at reviving the struggling economy and curbing rising inflation.
Takaichi, who became Japan’s first female prime minister in October, has been in office for just three months. Despite the short tenure, she has maintained a robust approval rating of nearly 70 percent—an achievement regarded as politically significant.
Japan’s relations with China have cooled following Takaichi’s pro-Taiwan remarks. At the same time, amid intensifying competition between Washington and Beijing for military influence in the region, she has expressed a desire to increase defense spending while navigating ties with U.S. President Donald Trump.
With the dissolution of the 465-member lower house, a 12-day official election campaign will begin on Tuesday. As Speaker Fukushiro Nukaga announced the dissolution, lawmakers rose to chant “Banzai”—meaning “long live”—three times, marking the formal start of election preparations.
Bid to Expand Majority
Prime Minister Takaichi has said the primary objective of the early election is to expand the ruling coalition’s majority in the more powerful lower house of Japan’s bicameral legislature, expressing confidence that her popularity will bolster the effort.
Following an election defeat in 2024, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partners—tarnished by corruption scandals—currently hold only a slim majority in the lower house. In the upper house, the coalition lacks a majority altogether, forcing reliance on opposition support to pass key legislation.
Opposition leaders have sharply criticized Takaichi for delaying the passage of budgets necessary to implement major economic programs. Addressing a press conference on Monday, she said, “I believe this is the only opportunity for the people, as sovereign citizens, to decide whether Sane Takaichi should remain prime minister. I am staking my entire political career on this decision.”
A staunch conservative, Takaichi has sought to clearly distinguish herself from her moderate predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba. She argues that expanding fiscal spending, strengthening military capabilities, and enforcing stricter immigration policies are essential to making Japan a “strong and prosperous” nation—issues she says voters should judge fairly.
Her energetic and decisive leadership image has resonated particularly well with younger voters. Nevertheless, the LDP has yet to fully shake off political funding scandals, prompting some traditional supporters to shift toward emerging far-right opposition parties such as the anti-globalization Sanseito.
AP/RSS
