Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has said she will dissolve parliament on Friday and call a general election to seek voter backing for her spending plans and other policies. The snap election announcement on Monday comes just three months into her tenure as the nation’s first female prime minister. … Calling an early election would allow her to capitalise on strong public support to tighten her grip on the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and shore up her coalition’s fragile majority. The election will test voter appetite for higher spending at a time when the rising cost of living is the public’s top concern.” (01/19/26)