Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is considering dissolving the lower house of parliament this month to hold a snap general election as early as February, according to a Jan. 11 report from public broadcaster NHK. The potential move comes approximately four months into the term of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, with media reports connecting the timing to her high public approval ratings.
NHK also reported that Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has instructed election boards in each prefecture to begin preparations for a possible general election.
A recent survey by Nikkei indicated Prime Minister Takaichi’s approval rating stands at 75%, the third consecutive month it has been recorded above 70%. The political context for the ratings includes ongoing diplomatic discussions between Tokyo and Beijing following comments Takaichi made in November regarding a potential response from Japan’s Self-Defense Forces to military action in the Taiwan Strait.
The election would be the first contested by the LDP in coalition with its new junior partner, the Japan Innovation Party (JIP). Reuters reported on Jan. 11 that JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura stated Takaichi’s perspective on the election’s timing had entered a “new stage,” though he did not provide further details.
Currently, the LDP-JIP coalition, along with three independents, holds 233 of the 465 seats in the Lower House, forming a majority. In the 250-seat Upper House, the coalition is in the minority with 119 seats.
Opposition parties have responded to the election speculation. In an interview with NHK, Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), the country’s largest opposition party, stated his party’s goal is to form a new government. He also indicated the possibility of an alliance with Komeito, the LDP’s former coalition partner.
Komeito ended its coalition partnership with the LDP in October 2025, a relationship that had been in place since 1999. Komeito cited what it described as “illegal political financing practices” from the LDP as its reason for leaving the coalition. The CDP currently holds 148 seats in the Lower House, while Komeito holds 24.
The potential election is set against a backdrop of specific economic conditions. Japan’s currency reached 158.19 yen to the U.S. dollar on Monday, its lowest point in a year. The nation’s inflation rate has remained above the Bank of Japan’s target for 44 consecutive months. Revised government data for the third quarter showed Japan’s gross domestic product contracted by 0.6% from the previous quarter, an annualized decrease of 2.3%.
