Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to the media after a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump at his official residence in Tokyo, January 2, 2026.
Kyodo | via Reuters
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party plans to dissolve the House of Representatives at the end of this month and hold a snap election, possibly in February, according to public broadcaster NHK.
This follows reports in Japanese media over the weekend that the Liberal Democratic Party is seeking to use Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s high approval ratings to stabilize the ruling coalition.
NHK reported that Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has instructed election commissions in each prefecture to prepare for the possibility of a general election.
According to a Nikkei survey, Takaichi’s approval rating is at a historic 75%, and has exceeded 70% for three consecutive months.
The high rating comes as Tokyo is embroiled in a diplomatic spat with China over Takaichi’s November remarks that China’s military action against Taiwan could prompt Japan’s Self-Defense Forces to intervene.
If a snap election is held in February, it will be just four months after Takaichi’s term as prime minister, and it will be the first election held by the Liberal Democratic Party together with its junior coalition partner, the Japan Restoration Party.
Reuters reported on Monday that JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura had met with Takaichi, saying the prime minister’s views on the timing of elections had moved to a “new stage”, without elaborating.
The Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Communist Party hold 230 seats in the lower house, and with the addition of three independent members, the ruling party now has a slim majority in the 465-member house.
However, the ruling coalition is in the minority in Japan’s House of Councilors, holding only 119 seats out of a total of 250.
Opposition parties vow to change the government
Separately, Constitutional Democratic Party leader Yoshihiko Noda vowed to overthrow the ruling coalition in an interview with NHK, raising expectations for collaboration with the Liberal Democratic Party’s former coalition partner Komeito.
Japan’s largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, holds 148 seats in the House of Representatives, with Komeito holding 24 seats.
While Mr. Takaichi is running for the prime minister’s election in October 2025, Komeito withdrew from the ruling coalition citing the Liberal Democratic Party’s “illegal political funding activities,” ending the coalition relationship that had lasted since 1999.
Since taking office, Takaichi has had to contend with a weak yen, higher-than-target inflation and a sluggish economy.
of circle The dollar is currently at a one-year low against the dollar, hitting a low of $158.19 against the dollar on Monday. Japan’s inflation rate has exceeded the Bank of Japan’s target for 44 consecutive months.
Japan’s third-quarter revised GDP showed the economy contracted more than initially expected, contracting by 0.6% sequentially and 2.3% on an annualized basis.
