Overview
- The prime minister called the early lower-house vote three months into her tenure and said she would step down if the LDP failed to win a majority.
- Pre-election polling points to an absolute, possibly two-thirds, majority for the LDP as ballots are cast on Sunday.
- Takaichi’s social-media-driven appeal has lifted her approval among younger voters to levels far above the party’s standing.
- She has received public praise and a White House invitation from President Donald Trump, underscoring her close alignment with Washington.
- Her hawkish remarks on Taiwan and a push to lift defense spending toward roughly 3% of GDP—alongside a floated then dropped food-tax cut—have stirred tensions with Beijing and market concerns.