Japan’s PM Sanae Takaichi dissolves lower house, sets 8 February snap election

Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has called a snap election, saying she will dissolve the lower house of the Diet on 23 January and hold a poll on 8 February. Takaichi, who became the country’s first female prime minister three months ago, said she hopes to capitalise on high approval ratings.

At a press conference Takaichi said she wanted voters to judge whether she was “fit” to continue and described the decision as “very difficult”. She told reporters: “I am putting my future as prime minister on the line. I want the people to decide directly whether they can entrust the management of the country to me.” The move comes as she seeks to reverse the Liberal Democratic party’s recent poor election results.

Takaichi has faced a deepening dispute with China after suggesting Japan could be militarily involved in any conflict between China and Taiwan if its own security were threatened; she had earlier held meetings with Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. Beijing has urged its citizens not to travel to Japan, cancelled meetings and events, and this month banned exports to Japan’s military of certain dual‑use items, a move Takaichi said violates international protocols.

US intelligence assessments in recent years have indicated Beijing aims to be capable of invasion by 2027, the reporting said.

Key Topics

Politics, Sanae Takaichi, Liberal Democratic Party, Japan, China, Taiwan