Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced she will dissolve the House of Representatives on Friday and hold a general election on February 8. She is seeking a public mandate on her leadership amid criticism that the move capitalizes on her cabinet's high approval ratings. Opposition parties have formed a new alliance to challenge the ruling bloc.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced on Monday that she will dissolve the House of Representatives on Friday and call a snap general election for February 8. This marks the first lower house election under her premiership since taking office on October 21, 2025, and she framed it as a referendum on her leadership. "I made a very grave decision," Takaichi said at a press conference. "I would like to ask people to make a direct judgment on whether they should entrust me with running the nation."
The election comes less than 1.5 years after the previous one in October 2024, with a compressed 16-day campaign period from dissolution to voting—the shortest in postwar Japan. Official campaigning begins January 27, coinciding with the opening of the ordinary parliamentary session. Takaichi seeks voter judgment on "major policy shifts," including her "responsible yet aggressive" fiscal approach and a coalition agreement with the Japan Innovation Party from October. She vowed to end "excessive austerity" while setting benchmarks for fiscal sustainability and proposed a two-year exemption on consumption tax for food to ease living costs—a shift from her earlier stance.
The Liberal Democratic Party-led bloc holds a razor-thin majority in the lower house but is a minority in the upper house, requiring opposition cooperation for legislation. In response, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) and Komeito formed the Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA) last week as an offensive against the ruling coalition. The CRA, with Komeito's influence on security and nuclear energy policies, pledged to permanently scrap the food consumption tax. CRA co-leader Yoshihiko Noda, a former prime minister, criticized the timing: "It is the government's role to ensure passage within fiscal 2025 of the fiscal 2026 budget, which includes measures to address rising prices. Why does the dissolution have to be now?"
Takaichi cited recent diplomatic summits with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and referenced the 31st anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake for a calm commemoration. She hopes for swift passage of the 2026 budget to minimize disruptions, though the February timing raises concerns in heavy-snow regions. Critics argue the move prioritizes politics over policy, potentially stalling deliberations.
