Japan On the Eve of Snap Parliamentary Elections |
On January 14, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed her intention to dissolve the lower house of parliament and call a snap election.
Internal political aspects of the pending elections
First of all, it should be noted that, according to Japan’s current constitution, the prime minister has the authority to dissolve the lower house of parliament (the House of Representatives) prematurely. In the country’s political practice of the last several decades, however, this is not an exception to the rule but rather the rule itself, since virtually all of Sanae Takaichi’s predecessors have exercised this right to demonstrate they possess public trust, typically in order to carry out certain measures (often ones that are themselves unpopular).
However, in recent years, it has become increasingly difficult for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to achieve this. In the autumn of 2024, during snap elections at that time, the LDP suffered a historic defeat and its leader, Shigeru Ishiba – the immediate predecessor of Takaichi as prime minister – was forced to govern the country after losing the majority in the lower house. In summer 2025, following another round of partial elections for the upper house, that chamber was also lost.
It is precisely to resolve this uncomfortable situation that the LDP leadership is now resorting to “regularly-scheduled snap elections” for the lower house. Hopes for success are pinned on Takaichi personally maintaining an unprecedentedly high level of trust among the Japanese public, which, according to various polls, exceeds 70%. The elections are expected to take place as early as February 8th, meaning the entire aforementioned process will be accelerated.
Several weeks prior to the election, a reshaping of the........