Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister of Japan and leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), speaks at an election campaign event ahead of the February 8 snap general election in Tokyo, February 7, 2026.
Kim Kyung Hoon | Reuters
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is hoping his struggling party can score a big enough victory to push an ambitious conservative political agenda in parliamentary elections, where polls began on Sunday.
Although Takaichi is extremely popular, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which has ruled Japan for most of the past 70 years, is unpopular. Hoping to turn the situation around, she called for a snap election on Sunday.
She wants to advance right-wing policies aimed at strengthening Japan’s economic and military power amid rising tensions with China. She also cultivates ties with the United States, a key ally, and the sometimes unpredictable President Donald Trump.
The ultra-conservative Takaichi, who was appointed as Japan’s first female leader in October, has vowed to “work, work, work,” and her style, which combines playfulness and toughness, resonates with young fans.
The latest opinion polls show the Liberal Democratic Party winning the House of Representatives by a landslide. The opposition is seen as too divided to be a real challenger, despite the formation of a new centrist coalition and the rise of the far right.
Takaichi is betting that the Liberal Democratic Party, working with its new partner Nippon Ishin no Kai, will secure a majority in the 465-member lower house, the more powerful member of Japan’s bicameral parliament.
Recent polls by major Japanese newspapers suggest that Takaichi’s party could win a majority on its own, while his coalition could win up to 300 seats, a significant increase from the slim majority it held since its 2024 election defeat.
If the Liberal Democratic Party does not win a majority, “I will resign,” she said.
A landslide victory for Takaichi’s coalition could mean a significant shift to the right in Japan’s security, immigration and other policies. In Japan, far-right populists, such as the anti-globalist and rapidly growing nationalist party Sankokuminto, have recently been gaining strength.
Takaichi pledged to revise security and defense policy by December to strengthen Japan’s offensive military capabilities, lift a ban on arms exports and move further away from Japan’s postwar pacifist principles.
She is pushing for tougher policies against foreigners, anti-espionage policies and other policies that resonate with far-right audiences, but which experts say could undermine civil rights.
Takaichi also wants to increase defense spending, responding to President Trump’s pressure to loosen Japan’s purse strings.
Takaichi distanced himself from controversial issues in his campaign speeches, focusing instead on the economy and measures against foreigners, including stricter immigration controls, stricter requirements for foreign property owners and restrictions on foreign residents.
Record-breaking snow has fallen in northern Japan in recent weeks, closing roads and killing dozens of people across the country, potentially preventing voting or delaying vote counting in hard-hit areas.
