Japan PM Sanae Takaichi Dissolves Parliament Ahead of Snap Election

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has dissolved the country’s parliament to pave the way for an early general election, scheduled to be held on February 8.
The move was formally announced on Friday after the Speaker of the lower house read out an official letter dissolving the chamber. Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, had signalled her intention earlier this week, saying she wanted to seek a renewed public mandate for her economic and security policies.
Takaichi is aiming to secure voter support for measures to shield citizens from rising living costs and to increase defence spending, at a time when inflation and a weakening yen are putting pressure on household budgets.
Her ruling coalition, made up of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), currently holds only a slim majority in the lower house. Although the LDP has faced declining public support and a series of scandals, Takaichi hopes that strong approval ratings for her cabinet will translate into electoral gains.
However, political analysts remain cautious. Hidehiro Yamamoto, a political science professor at the University of Tsukuba, said it was unclear whether public support for Takaichi’s cabinet would convert into broader backing for the LDP.
“People’s main concern right now is how the government is dealing with inflation,” Yamamoto said.
Government data released on Friday showed that Japan’s inflation rate eased in December, largely due to subsidies on electricity and gas. Despite this, public frustration over rising prices remains high.
Soaring living costs were a major factor behind the downfall of former prime minister Shigeru Ishiba, who was replaced by Takaichi in October. Japan continues to struggle with higher import prices caused by the weak yen.
Rice prices have become a symbol of the crisis. By mid-2025, the price of rice had more than doubled compared with the previous year, although it has eased slightly in recent months. Official figures show that rice prices in December were still more than 34 percent higher year on year.