Japan’s first female PM Takaichi calls snap election for February 8

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by KyodoJanuary 19, 2026 at 10:44 AM

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the nation's first female PM, has called for a snap general election to be held on February 8, with official campaigning beginning January 27. Takaichi announced the dissolution of the House of Representatives on the opening day of the ordinary parliamentary session, putting her position on the line. This election, the first since Takaichi assumed office on October 21 and since the Liberal Democratic Party formed a coalition with the Japan Innovation Party, will seek a public mandate for her fiscal policies. Takaichi hopes to leverage high cabinet approval ratings in this election, which comes less than 18 months after the previous lower house election in October 2024.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

October 2024 Lower House Election 40% Japan Innovation Party 50% Liberal Democratic Party 60% House of Representatives 70% February 8 General Election 80% Japan ×380% Sanae Takaichi ×490%

Keywords

snap election 100% general election 90% japanese prime minister 80% sanae takaichi 70% political mandate 60% coalition deal 50% liberal democratic party 50% japan innovation party 40% fiscal stance 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral

Score: 0.10

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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 general election japanese prime minister sanae takaichi political mandate coalition deal liberal democratic party japan innovation party fiscal stance

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