Japan’s First Female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Calls Snap Elections for Feb. 8
Japan’s first female Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, announced on Monday that snap general elections will be held on February 8, following the dissolution of parliament later this week. Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo, Takaichi said lawmakers will meet for a scheduled session on Friday, when the parliament will be formally dissolved.
Takaichi, elected last October as Japan’s 104th prime minister, leads a minority Cabinet with support from the Japan Innovation Party. The elections, originally due by October 2028, will determine which party or coalition can secure the 233 seats needed in the 465-member lower house to elect the prime minister. The official campaign period will begin on January 27.
The snap elections come as Japan’s two opposition parties formed a new bloc, the Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA), to challenge Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its allies. The CRA promises to ease economic pressures and offer an alternative to “divisive” politics. Takaichi also addressed tensions with China, criticizing Beijing’s export controls as “economic coercion” after her remarks on Taiwan sparked a strong diplomatic backlash, including travel advisories and trade restrictions.
