Japan’s Takaichi seeks mandate, improved majority with snap election: poll

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 2 min read 100% complete by KyodoFebruary 1, 2026 at 03:33 PM

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A recent poll in Japan indicates growing support for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of the February 8 snap election. The LDP's support rose to 36.1%, while the opposition Centrist Reform Alliance gained 13.9%. Takaichi called the election in January seeking a stronger majority in the lower house. The poll also showed that 44% would vote for ruling camp-backed candidates in single-constituency races, compared to 26.5% for opposition rivals. However, a significant portion of voters remain undecided, and enthusiasm for the new opposition party is low. Takaichi's cabinet approval rating stands at 63.6%.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Yoshihiko Noda 40% Komeito party 40% Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan 40% House of Representatives 50% Japan 70% Centrist Reform Alliance ×475% Liberal Democratic Party ×280% Sanae Takaichi ×390%

Keywords

snap election 90% political poll 80% liberal democratic party 70% sanae takaichi 70% ruling party 60% opposition party 60% approval rating 50% centrist reform alliance 50% election outlook 50% house of representatives 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral

Score: 0.10

Source Transparency

Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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snap election political poll liberal democratic party sanae takaichi ruling party opposition party approval rating centrist reform alliance election outlook house of representatives

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