PM Takaichi Calls Snap Election, Testing Political Strength in Japan
Millions of voters across Japan are casting their ballots in a sudden election announced by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, with her coalition expected to secure a strong victory.
Just months after being elected by lawmakers, Takaichi decided to go to the polls to seek a public mandate.
Polls suggest her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, the populist Japan Innovation Party, could win up to 300 of the 465 seats in the lower house, a significant turnaround for the LDP, which lost control of both houses of Japan’s parliament last year.
The conservative leader has won over some voters with promises of tax cuts and subsidies, but critics say this would deal a heavy blow to Japan’s sluggish economy.
As of a week ago, nearly 4.6 million people had cast early votes, a 2.5% decrease from the previous election in 2024, a drop attributed to heavy snowfall in northern and western regions.
Analysts say Takaichi’s personal popularity could boost the LDP’s performance in this election.
An admirer of former UK leader Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi has long harbored ambitions of becoming Japan’s “Iron Lady.” A close ally of the late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, she shares a similar ideology, including a strong defense and nationalist policies.
Despite her traditional views on gender and family, Takaichi has proven particularly popular among young voters aged 18 to 30, according to polls. Since she first took office in October, her government’s approval rating has mostly remained above 70%.
She has cultivated a significant social media following, boasting 2.6 million followers on X (formerly Twitter). An LDP campaign video she spearheaded garnered over 100 million views in less than 10 days.
The 64-year-old has also become something of a fashion icon, as “Sankatsu”—roughly meaning “Sanae-mania”—has taken hold. The black leather tote bag she often carries has sold out, and the pink pen she used at her first press conference has gone viral. Just months after being elected by lawmakers, Takaichi decided to go to the polls to seek a public mandate.
Polls suggest her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, the populist Japan Innovation Party, could win up to 300 of the 465 seats in the lower house, a significant turnaround for the LDP, which lost control of both houses of Japan’s parliament last year.
The conservative leader has won over some voters with promises of tax cuts and subsidies, but critics say this would deal a heavy blow to Japan’s sluggish economy.
Nearly 4.6 million people had cast early votes as of a week ago, a 2.5% decrease from the previous election in 2024, a drop attributed to heavy snowfall in northern and western regions.
Analysts say Takaichi’s personal popularity could boost the LDP’s performance in this election.
An admirer of former UK leader Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi has long harbored ambitions of becoming Japan’s “Iron Lady.” A close ally of the late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, she shares similar views, including a strong defense and nationalist policies.
Despite her traditional views on gender and family, Takaichi has proven particularly popular among young voters aged 18 to 30, according to polls. Her government’s approval rating has mostly remained above 70% since she first took office in October.
She has cultivated a significant following on social media, boasting 2.6 million followers on X (formerly Twitter). The LDP campaign video she spearheaded has been streamed more than 100 million times in less than 10 days.
The 64-year-old has also become a fashion icon, as “Sankatsu”—which roughly translates to “Sane-mania”—has spread. The black leather tote bag she often carries has sold out, and the pink pen she used at her first press conference has gone viral.
Tokyo University sociologist Yuiko Fujita places this enthusiasm against the backdrop of how Japanese politics has traditionally been dominated by older men.
“The fact that the prime minister is now a woman, with a background different from what people are used to, makes it seem like something is changing,” she told Nikkei Asia.
However, some are skeptical that her popularity will translate into votes.
“This isn’t a presidential election but a parliamentary election, where most of the LDP candidates are tainted by past scandals,” said Koichi Nakano, a political science professor at Sophia University.
Since 2023, the LDP has been embroiled in a fundraising scandal that led to the resignation of four cabinet ministers and triggered corruption investigations.
The snap election is a gamble for Takaichi, as her party now faces a more united opposition. The LDP’s former coalition partner, Komeito, has joined forces with Japan’s Constitutional Democratic Party to form the largest opposition bloc in the lower house.
Another major challenge for the LDP is convincing voters that its high-spending measures will not further exacerbate Japan’s fiscal weakness.
“The government’s policy package may provide short-term relief to households, but it has failed to address underlying problems such as weak productivity and stagnant real wages,” wrote Masahiko Takeda, a senior fellow focusing on Asia at the Australian National University, in an article this week.
Furthermore, Nakano said that Takaichi has “dug herself into a deep hole in foreign and security policy by antagonizing China.”
Takaichi angered Beijing, Tokyo’s largest trading partner, late last year by suggesting that Japan could respond with its Self-Defense Forces if China attacked Taiwan.
This rift has pushed the historically tense relationship to its lowest point in more than a decade. Meanwhile, she has sought to cultivate close ties with US President Donald Trump, as Tokyo desires greater stability in its relationship with its closest ally, Washington.
On Friday, Trump endorsed Takaichi, a move rarely seen from an American leader.
