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3h ago

Takaichi Heads Into Snap Vote With Polls Signaling Ruling‑Bloc Landslide

A resignation pledge from Takaichi puts exceptional stakes on a vote that could deliver a two‑thirds lower‑house majority.

FILE - A cyclist passes an election campaign poster ahead of the lower house election in Tokyo, Feb. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte, File)
Image
Yoshihiko Noda, one of the co-leaders of the newly formed Japanese political party Centrist Reform Alliance, waves to the passersby after delivering a speech in support of the party's candidate for the lower house election in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Overview

  • Japan votes on Feb. 8 after Takaichi dissolved the lower house and vowed to step down if the LDP–Japan Innovation Party coalition fails to win a majority.
  • Surveys by Nikkei, Asahi and Kyodo project the ruling bloc taking 300-plus of 465 seats, with the LDP potentially securing a single‑party majority and surpassing the 261‑seat committee‑control threshold.
  • A two‑thirds win would let the ruling side override upper‑house vetoes, accelerating a hawkish agenda that includes defense expansion and pursuit of constitutional revision.
  • The LDP is leaning heavily on Takaichi’s personal appeal, especially among younger voters, with Yomiuri reporting her campaign stops have lifted candidates in tight single‑seat races.
  • Key risks persist, including political‑funds and Unification Church scrutiny, Chinese economic pressure after her Taiwan remarks, market unease over fiscal plans, and heavy snow that has depressed early voting in some prefectures.