A major setback for the left-wing camp in Japan
Japan’s general election was held on February 8, 2026. It was a gamble for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to call a snap election. Under Japan’s constitutional practice, the prime minister can dissolve the House of Representatives (the lower house) and call a general election, typically by advising the Cabinet to act under Article 7 of the Constitution. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was elected prime minister by the House of Representatives last October, succeeding former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. However, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), to which she belongs, did not hold a majority in the lower house. Her personal popularity remained high after she took office. Against this backdrop, she suddenly announced the dissolution of the House of Representatives at the beginning of this year. The LDP then won a historic landslide in the ensuing election. Its seat total increased from 198 to 316, meaning that the party now controls more than two-thirds of the seats in the lower house. W...