A senior party official has stated that Sanae Takaichi intends to dissolve Parliament’s influential lower house as soon as this month, launching a snap election to secure voter support for her policy agenda while her approval ratings remain strong.
According to The Associated Press, this move would enable Takaichi to seek renewed backing for her economic and security priorities at a time when her scandal-tainted party and its new coalition partner hold only a narrow majority in Japan’s legislature.
Takaichi made history in October when she became Japan’s first female prime minister.
Portrayed by some Japanese and international media as an ultraconservative, hard-line figure, Takaichi has advocated for strengthening Japan’s defense posture, emerged as an outspoken China hawk, and supported constitutional revisions to expand the role of the Self-Defense Forces.
Holding a snap election could allow Takaichi to leverage her roughly 70% approval rating and help her Liberal Democratic Party gain additional seats in Parliament.
Shunichi Suzuki, secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, told reporters that Takaichi informed him and other senior officials of her intention to dissolve the lower house “soon” after it convenes on Jan. 23.
Suzuki noted that no date has been set for dissolving the chamber or holding the snap election, adding that Takaichi plans to outline her strategy at a news conference on Monday.
After losses in the 2024 election, Takaichi’s scandal-plagued LDP and its coalition hold only a slim majority in the lower house—Parliament’s more powerful chamber.
By calling an early vote, Takaichi appears to aim at expanding her party’s seat share and strengthening its position alongside a new junior coalition partner.
Opposition lawmakers criticized the plan as self-serving, arguing it would delay urgent debates over the national budget, which must be approved quickly.
Echoing Suzuki’s comments, media reports indicate Takaichi plans to dissolve the lower house on Jan. 23—the opening day of this year’s ordinary parliamentary session—potentially setting the stage for a snap election as early as Feb. 8.
Suzuki said Takaichi is seeking voter backing for her agenda, including “proactive” fiscal spending and an accelerated military buildup under a new coalition with the Japan Innovation Party.
The conservative Japan Innovation Party joined the ruling bloc after the centrist Komeito party withdrew, citing disagreements over Takaichi’s ideological positions and her approach to anti-corruption reforms.
Takaichi met with Suzuki and other coalition leaders on Wednesday, following talks in Nara with foreign counterparts at a summit focused on strengthening bilateral ties. These meetings came as she faces rising trade and political tensions with China, sparked by remarks on Taiwan that angered Beijing days after she took office.
Winning the snap election would also make it easier for Takaichi and her governing bloc to pass the budget and advance other legislation.
The government approved a record 122.3 trillion yen ($770 billion) budget in late December, which must clear Parliament before the fiscal year begins in April. The plan includes measures to fight inflation, support low-income households, and boost economic growth.
Known for her hawkish and nationalistic views, as well as ultra-conservative positions on social issues like gender and sexual diversity, Takaichi is seeking to reclaim conservative voters drawn to emerging populist parties in recent elections.