Sanae Takaichi

On 8th February 2026, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling coalition secured a landslide victory in the snap general election, gaining a strong mandate to pursue economic reforms and strengthen national security policies.

Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won 316 out of 465 seats in the lower house, its best-ever performance.
With coalition partner Japan Innovation Party (Ishin), the alliance secured 352 seats, crossing the two-thirds supermajority mark, allowing it to override the upper house.
The rare winter snap election was called to capitalise on strong approval ratings after Takaichi assumed office last year.
Key policy priorities include tax cuts, especially suspending the 8% sales tax on food, and increased military spending to counter regional security challenges.
Financial markets reacted cautiously, raising concerns over funding the proposed tax cuts amid Japan’s high public debt.