Japan’s election campaigning begins Takaichi seeks new mandate

More than 1,270 candidates will vie for 465 seats in the lower house, marking the first general election since Takaichi took office on Oct. 21, News.Az reports, citing Kyodo.
The contest follows the collapse of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s 26-year partnership with Komeito and the establishment of a new governing coalition with the Japan Innovation Party.
On Friday, Takaichi dissolved the lower house of parliament, clearing the path for a snap general election. The move was notable as it represented the first time in 60 years that the lower house has been dissolved at the opening of a regular parliamentary session.
At 64, Takaichi became Japan’s 104th prime minister last October, making history by ending decades of male-dominated leadership within the LDP.
To select a prime minister, a party or coalition must secure at least 233 seats in the lower house of Japan’s bicameral legislature.
Japan’s opposition parties have reorganized in the run-up to the election. The Constitutional Democratic Party and Komeito have joined together to form the Centrist Reform Alliance, which has emerged as the strongest challenger to the ruling bloc.
The LDP, which has governed Japan for most of the period since 1955, suffered a significant setback in the 2024 general election when it lost its lower house majority for the first time since 2009. That defeat was followed by another blow last July, when the party also lost its majority in the upper house.
Economic issues dominate the campaign, with both the government and opposition debating whether to suspend or eliminate the food consumption tax in response to persistent inflation and growing concerns about fiscal sustainability.
Takaichi’s broader policy agenda is also under close examination, including her positions on fiscal management, diplomatic relations with China and the United States, and social reforms such as allowing married couples the option of having separate surnames.
Japan’s electoral system allows voters to cast two ballots: one for a candidate in a single-member district and another for a political party under proportional representation. The election will be held across 289 constituencies, while the remaining 176 seats will be distributed among 11 proportional representation blocs.