Kyoto: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is planning to dissolve the House of Representatives at the start of the regular Diet session on January 23, paving the way for a snap general election, local media reported citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to reports, Takaichi has already conveyed her intention to senior members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The move comes at a time when her Cabinet approval ratings remain strong, prompting expectations within the ruling camp that an early election could help consolidate her leadership. The current ruling coalition holds only a narrow majority in the lower house, making the political landscape fragile.
The Japanese government has formally informed both ruling and opposition parties that the ordinary Diet session will convene on January 23. If the lower house is dissolved on the same day, the official election campaign could begin on January 27 or February 3, with voting likely to take place on February 9 or February 15.
This would mark the first general election under Takaichi’s leadership. She became Japan’s first female prime minister in October last year, forming a new alliance with the Japan Innovation Party after the LDP’s long-standing coalition partner Komeito withdrew support following a fundraising scandal.
Although more than two years remain in the current four-year term of the House of Representatives, Takaichi appears ready to take a calculated political risk to seek a stronger mandate. She has pledged to pursue expansionary fiscal policies to build what she describes as a “robust” economy, while also advancing a more assertive national security agenda.
A former television anchor, the 64-year-old leader entered politics in 1993 and represents Nara prefecture in the lower house. Over her career, she has held several senior Cabinet positions, including economic security minister and internal affairs minister, and became the first woman to chair the LDP’s Policy Research Council. Known as a leading figure in the party’s conservative wing, Takaichi secured the LDP leadership after winning a runoff vote last year.
Political observers say the proposed snap election could prove decisive in shaping the future of Takaichi’s government and Japan’s policy direction in the years ahead.
