PM Sanae Takaichi's party wins supermajority in Japan snap elections

Source: Al Jazeera

PM Sanae Takaichi’s party wins supermajority in Japan snap elections

Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won 316 of the 465 seats in the powerful lower house, according to public broadcaster NHK.

By Al Jazeera Staff and News Agencies
Published On 8 Feb 2026
8 Feb 2026

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s party has won a landslide in Japan’s general election, securing a supermajority in the country’s lower house of parliament.

Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won 316 of the 465 seats in the powerful lower house in Sunday’s election, well above the 233 needed for a majority, according to results collated by public broadcaster NHK.

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While Takaichi is hugely popular, the ruling LDP, which has governed Japan for most of the last seven decades, has struggled due to funding and religious scandals. The PM called Sunday’s snap elections only after three months, in hopes of turning the party’s political fortunes.

However, Takaichi’s election promise to suspend the eight percent sales tax on food to help households cope with rising prices has spooked investors, who are concerned about how the nation with the heaviest debt burden among advanced economies will fund the plan.

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Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/8/pm-sanae-takaichis-party-set-for-majority-in-japan-parliamentary-elections