Japan snap election: Who’s standing and what’s at stake?

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Erin HaleFebruary 7, 2026 at 05:17 AM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Japan is holding a snap election on February 8 for all 465 seats in the House of Representatives. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the country's first female prime minister, called the election hoping to increase the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) seats. Over 1,200 candidates from various parties, including the LDP, Centrist Reform Alliance, and Japanese Communist Party, are competing for the votes of approximately 105 million registered voters. Key issues driving the election include the rising cost of living, as consumer prices increase while wage growth lags, and Japan's slow economic growth, which is below healthy levels for a developed nation.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Japan Innovation Party 40% Conservative Party of Japan 40% Japanese Communist Party 40% Democratic Party for the People 40% NHK World 40% Centrist Reform Alliance 40% International Monetary Fund (IMF) 50% Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications 50% House of Representatives 60% Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) ×280% Sanae Takaichi ×290% Japan ×6100%

Keywords

snap election 100% cost of living 80% economic growth 70% sanae takaichi 70% japanese voters 60% inflation 50% liberal democratic party 50% parliament 40%