US EditionJapan’s conservative leader bets big on Takaichi mania with snap election. Will her gamble pay off?
Prime Minister Takaichi aims to secure a majority in a rare February election amid heavy snowfall, with youth support exceeding 80% and a coalition forecast to win over 300 seats.
- TOKYO, Feb 8 — Polls opened on Sunday as Japanese voters cast ballots, with record snowfall threatening to reduce turnout on Sunday.
- After dissolving parliament in January, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called a rare February vote, only the third postwar held in winter, seeking a stronger mandate after becoming prime minister in October.
- Opinion polls project seat gains, with the LDP eyeing the 233-seat majority and some surveys saying the LDP and Japan Innovation Party could win 310 seats.
- A big LDP victory would give Takaichi room to pursue policies like higher defence spending and suspending the 8% sales tax on food, advisers say.
- Organised blocs including Komeito and Japanese Communist Party volunteers are mobilising to boost turnout, while voters under 30 favour Takaichi by over 90 per cent but are less likely to vote, with polls closing at 8 p.m.
138 Articles
138 Articles
Japan's snap parliamentary election is being held today amid heavy snowfall that is causing disruptions to road, rail and air traffic. The snowy conditions could also affect turnout in the vote, in which the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is seeking a firm mandate to implement ambitious plans.
Japan’s Leader Makes a Bold Election Bet. Here’s What to Know.
Sanae Takaichi made history last fall when she became the first woman to lead Japan as prime minister. Now, after just over 100 days in office, she is making her biggest bet yet. Ms. Takaichi, a hard-line conservative, has called a snap election, which takes place on Sunday, in a bid to capitalize on her popularity and to gain the seats she needs in Parliament to push through her economic and security agenda. If Ms. Takaichi prevails, she could …
Japan election: Sanae Takaichi set for big win as polls open
Though Takaichi is popular, her nationalist Liberal Democratic Party is not. The prime minister hopes that the snap election will boost the ruling LDP and provide her with a strong mandate for her conservative agenda.
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