Editorial

15:00 JST, February 10, 2026

Sunday’s House of Representatives election saw the Liberal Democratic Party achieve a landslide victory, securing its largest number of seats since the end of World War II, while the opposition ended up as small parties with no more than a few dozen lower house members each.

Japanese politics are said to have entered an unprecedented era of “one strong party, many weak ones.”

In the lower house election two years ago and the House of Councillors election last year, the movements of independent voters created significant fluctuations, leading to crushing defeats for the LDP. In the most recent election, the same dynamic appears to have worked in the LDP’s favor.

Because the opposition parties lack sufficient strength, however, a misjudgment by the government could lead to an irreversible situation. The government’s responsibility is immense.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi must not only advocate for the necessity of bold policy shifts, but sincerely explain their content and significance to the public and seek their understanding as well.

Meanwhile, opposition parties are standing at a crossroads and face the question of whether they can build a new core force and fulfill their role of monitoring the administration of the government and ruling parties.

Takaichi told a press conference that the landslide victory in the lower house election “has given........

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