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Key insights
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Seeking a direct mandate: Takaichi said her cabinet has not yet been tested in an election where the public chooses the government and wants voters to decide if she is fit to be prime minister.
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Political risk despite personal popularity: While Takaichi and her cabinet have high public support, her party lags in polls, making a snap election a gamble.
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3
Cost-of-living and spending plans in focus: The election will test public appetite for increased public spending at a time when cost-of-living is a top voter concern.
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What happened
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she will dissolve Japan’s parliament on Friday, setting up an early election for 8 February. She described the move as a “weighty decision” to let the public determine Japan’s course. Takaichi, Japan’s first female leader, has had high public support since taking office in October after being elected by lawmakers on 21 October, but her party is behind in polls, making the decision risky. The election will test voter support for her plans to boost public spending as cost-of-living concerns dominate.