Polls opened Sunday (February 8, 2026) in parliamentary elections that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hopes will give her struggling party a big enough win to push through an ambitious conservative political agenda.
Ms. Takaichi is hugely popular, but the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed Japan for most of the last seven decades, is not. She called Sunday's (February 8, 2026) snap elections hoping to turn that around.
Japan snap election: PM Takaichi counts on her popularity to win Sunday’s poll
She wants to make progress on a right-wing agenda that aims to boost Japan's economy and military capabilities as tensions grow with China. She also nurtures ties with her crucial U.S. ally, and a sometimes unpredictable President Donald Trump.
The ultraconservative Ms. Takaichi, who took office as Japan's first female leader in October, pledged to “work, work, work,” and her style, which is seen as both playful and tough, has resonated with younger fans.
