US EditionJapan kicks off campaigning for Feb. 8 Lower House election
- Official campaigning began across Japan on Tuesday ahead of the Feb 8 vote, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi seeking a fresh mandate to continue her economic and security policies during the 12-day official campaign period.
- With three independent lawmakers helping, the ruling bloc's razor-thin majority depends on Takaichi's efforts after ending the LDP-Komeito alliance and forming a coalition with Nippon Ishin no Kai.
- More than 1,270 candidates will contest 465 seats in the Lower House, with 289 single-seat constituencies and 176 proportional-representation seats, and filing began at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
- The LDP-led ruling bloc aims to surpass its 233-seat majority, and Takaichi said she would promise to resign if they fail to retain control.
- The election's timing is unusual — first February lower house election since 1990 and dissolution at opening of an ordinary Diet session, first since 1966; critics say the snap poll will delay the fiscal 2026 budget.
20 Articles
20 Articles
In Japan Prime Minister Takaichi rules with a narrow majority. Now she wants to strengthen her power with new elections. What the polls say.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has announced new elections in Japan, counting on her popularity, especially among the boys, and yet there is a risk.
NGOs say keep xenophobia out of Lower House campaign tactics | The Asahi Shimbun Asia & Japan Watch
Human rights groups and religious organizations issued an emergency joint statement opposing xenophobia on Jan. 26 to deter political campaigns that fuel prejudice and spread disinformation ahead of next month's Lower House election.
Malay Mail
AlKhaleej TodayJapan heads to a snap election: Five issues shaping Sanae Takaichi’s high-risk gamble
TOKYO, Jan 28 — Official campaigning began in Japan yesterday ahead of a snap election on February 8.Here are five key issues in a high-stakes vote where Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has laid her political future on the line.Race to the polls Candidates’ posters are up, vans topped with loudspeakers are cruising the streets, and Takaichi held her first rally yesterday in central Tokyo, where dozens of people gathered to listen to her speak.The …
Sudden chaos in Japan's bond market puts stock bulls on notice
From the start of the year, Japanese stocks surged on bets that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi would cement power through a snap election and then ramp up spending. Then on Tuesday, the so-called Takaichi trade unraveled. A bond slump that sent yields soaring to records on her election pitch to cut taxes on food rippled through markets in Tokyo, spurring a two-day decline in the benchmark Topix that was its biggest since mid-November. And while m…
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