Japan PM Takaichi calls 8 Feb snap election on spending, tax cuts and defence

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday (19 January) she would call a snap national election on 8 February, seeking a popular mandate for higher public spending, tax cuts and a new security strategy expected to accelerate Japan’s defence build-up.

PM Takaichi said, at a press conference, “I am staking my own political future as prime minister on this election."

"I want the public to judge directly whether they will entrust me with the management of the nation,” she noted.

At the centre of her campaign is a pledge to suspend an 8% consumption tax on food for two years, alongside broader spending plans she said would create jobs, lift household spending and ultimately raise other tax revenues.

Her own Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and coalition partner Japan Innovation Party have signalled support for making temporary food tax relief part of the election platform, reflecting wider political traction for this policy across party lines.

Markets reacted swiftly to the prospect of a tax cut, which government estimates say would reduce revenue by about 5 trillion yen ($32 billion) a year. The yield on Japan’s benchmark 10-year government bonds rose to a 27-year high earlier on Monday.

The election will decide all 465 seats in the lower house of parliament and will be Takaichi’s first electoral test since becoming Japan’s first female prime minister in October.

• Japan and South Korea hold high-level talks to boost security and economic ties
• Japan, the Turkic–Altaic Horizon and the Search for a More Autonomous Foreign Policy

According to experts, by calling an early vote, Takaichi aims to capitalise on strong public support to tighten her grip on the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and stabilise her coalition’s narrow majority.

"Now may be the best chance she has at taking advantage of this extraordinary popularity," said Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer in Japanese studies at Kanda University of International Studies.

But with opposition parties joining forces to oppose her, victory might not be straightforward, he added.

Internal LDP strategists and observers note that dissolving the lower house at this moment could enable Takaichi to consolidate support for her economic and national security agenda, particularly by drawing on high approval ratings reported in recent polls.

The campaign is also expected to focus on the cost of living, which has emerged as voters’ top concern. A poll released by public broadcaster NHK last week showed 45% of respondents citing rising prices as their main worry, followed by diplomacy and national security at 16%.

Other issues set to shape voter debate include Japan’s evolving defence posture and its economic relationship with major partners.

Takaichi’s administration has signalled intentions to accelerate defence build-up and update national security strategy documents by the end of 2026, amid heightened regional tensions, particularly with China.

• Power outage halts Tokyo commuter train lines, disrupting 673,000 thousands passengers in Japan
• Japan’s new strategic ambitions in Central Asia

Public sentiment toward the election timing is mixed.

Some opinion surveys, according to the Guardian, suggest a plurality of the electorate may oppose the dissolution, even if they favour strong legislative representation for the ruling coalition, highlighting a generational divide in attitudes toward economic versus political priorities.

Tags

News Politics Japan Prime minister Sanae Takaichi Tokyo Snap elections defence national security