Japan’s new PM Takaichi eyes parliament dissolution for snap polls: Report

Country’s first female prime minister hopes a bigger majority will help her implement her political and fiscal agenda.Published On 13 Jan 2026Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has conveyed to a governing party executive her intention to dissolve parliament’s lower house next week, according to the Kyodo News Agency, less than three months into her tenure.Citing a source, Kyodo reported on Tuesday that Takaichi plans to declare the dissolution of parliament at the beginning of the regular session of the Diet on January 23.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Japanese PM Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks spark spat with Chinalist 2 of 4The Take: Japan’s Iron Lady meets Trumplist 3 of 4Japan’s parliament confirms hardliner Takaichi as country’s first female PMlist 4 of 4Coalition deal set to make Takaichi Japan’s first female PMend of listThe decision will pave the way for snap elections in the world’s fourth-largest economy, with Takaichi’s once-dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) hoping to increase its parliamentary seats.An early election on the back of the Takaichi cabinet’s high approval rating could help boost the majority held by the ruling coalition of the LDP and the Japan-innovation-party" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="10718" data-entity-type="organization">Japan Innovation Party in the lower house, Kyodo reported.On Friday, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper also reported that Takaichi was considering dissolving the lower chamber on January 17 for a snap election on February 8 or 15.Takaichi hopes a bigger majority will help her implement her agenda of more “proactive” fiscal spending and stronger intelligence capacities, the Yomiuri said.Takaichi, the country’s first female prime minister, has so far remained mum in public about calling an early general election.The ruling coalition and the LDP have yet to comment on the report.On Monday, NHK News reported that leaders of the Japanese opposition parties Japan" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="10720" data-entity-type="organization">Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito have agreed to “explore ways to work more closely together” to counter Takaichi’s coalition in the event of snap polls.Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, right, escorts South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the start of their meeting in Nara, Japan, January 13, 2026 [Issei Kato/Pool via AFP]Meanwhile, the leader of the Democratic Party for the People, Tamaki Yuichiro, warned that dissolving the lower house before the budget for the next fiscal year is passed would mean the government of Takaichi putting the economy on the back burner.