Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers a speech at the House of Representatives plenary session in Tokyo on October 24, 2025. KAZUHIRO NOGI / AFP
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Monday, January 19, she would dissolve the lower house of parliament this week ahead of a snap election on February 8, hoping for a stronger mandate to push through her ambitious policy agenda. The country's first woman leader is banking on her high poll numbers to lead the unpopular ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to victory.
"Is Sanae Takaichi fit to be prime minister? I wanted to ask the sovereign people to decide," she told a news conference. "Following the dissolution of the lower house on January 23, the schedule will be set for campaigning to start on January 27 and voting and counting held on February 8."
The LDP has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for decades, albeit with frequent leader changes. Takaichi was appointed premier in October, and her cabinet is riding high in the polls despite her party's flagging popularity.
The ruling bloc – which includes coalition partner Japan Innovation Party (JIP) – has only a slim majority in the powerful lower house of parliament. This could hamper the passage of her policy agenda, including "proactive" fiscal spending and boosting the defence budget.
