Vote counting is under way in Japan after polling closed in the snap lower house election, with exit polls projecting a decisive victory for PM Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party, strengthening its grip on power just months after she took office.
Voting has concluded in Japan’s snap lower house election, with early projections pointing to a decisive victory for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, called the election just four months after taking over the party leadership to seek a clear public mandate. The projected result marks a sharp turnaround for the LDP, which had lost its parliamentary majority under her two predecessors amid corruption scandals and rising living costs.
Exit polls suggest the conservative ruling party is set to significantly tighten its hold on power. According to public broadcaster NHK, the LDP is projected to win between 274 and 328 of the 465 seats in the lower house, comfortably above the 233 needed for a majority. Together with its junior coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, the ruling bloc could secure between 302 and 366 seats.
The election, held amid freezing weather and heavy snowfall across parts of the country, is being viewed as an early endorsement of Takaichi’s leadership. She had pledged to resign if her coalition failed to secure a simple majority.
Despite the strong showing, challenges loom. Takaichi faces scrutiny over her handling of public finances and her ability to manage strained ties with China, particularly over Taiwan. During the campaign, she sought to woo voters with a $135 billion stimulus package to ease cost-of-living pressures and later promised to suspend the 8 percent consumption tax on food for two years, a move expected to dent annual revenues by about ¥5 trillion.
Her spending plans unsettled financial markets and triggered currency volatility, with critics questioning the approach given that Japan’s public debt exceeds twice its GDP, the highest among advanced economies.
On foreign policy, Takaichi’s comments last year suggesting Japan could become militarily involved if China attempted to invade Taiwan sparked a sharp response from Beijing. China issued advisories discouraging tourism and study in Japan, disrupting cultural exchanges and effectively ending decades of “panda diplomacy”.
While her remarks strained ties with China, they appear to have resonated with many voters at home, contributing to the LDP’s projected landslide.
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