Japan votes in snap lower house election as PM Takaichi seeks fresh mandate

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - TOKYO — Voting got underway across Japan on Sunday in a snap election for the powerful lower house of parliament, as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi seeks a renewed public mandate to advance her economic and security agenda, local media reported.

Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (2200 GMT Saturday), with concerns that heavy snowfall in parts of the country could depress turnout, according to Kyodo News. More than 104 million registered voters are eligible to cast ballots.

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Early voting took place from Jan. 28 to Feb. 7, with more than 20 million voters casting ballots over the 10-day period.

A total of 1,270 candidates are contesting 465 seats in the House of Representatives in a high-stakes vote that could reshape Japan’s political landscape. A party or coalition needs at least 233 seats to secure a majority and elect a prime minister.

Of the total seats, 289 are contested in single-member constituencies, while 176 are allocated through proportional representation across 11 regional blocs. Polls are set to close at 8 p.m. (1100 GMT), with vote counting to begin later Sunday.

Takaichi dissolved the lower chamber last month to seek a fresh mandate for her premiership. Japan is holding a general election in February for the first time in 36 years, a decision that drew criticism due to severe winter weather complicating campaigning in several regions.

Opinion polls suggest a strong showing for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its ally, the Japan Innovative Party, with three major surveys indicating the coalition could win around 300 seats. A Yomiuri Shimbun poll conducted last week showed the LDP gaining momentum in the final days of campaigning and positioned to secure at least the simple majority needed to govern.

By contrast, the Centrist Reform Alliance, formed last month by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, is projected to lose more than half of the 167 seats the two parties held prior to the election.

Smaller parties, including Sanseito and Team Mirai, are expected to make gains, while the Democratic Party for the People is forecast to retain roughly the same number of seats it previously held.

Takaichi, who became Japan’s first female prime minister in October, has pledged to resign if the ruling coalition fails to secure a majority in the lower house. Even if the bloc succeeds, it will still face challenges in the House of Councillors, where it remains a minority and will need opposition support to pass legislation.

To pursue its long-standing goal of amending Japan’s postwar Constitution, the LDP would need to win at least 310 seats, or a two-thirds majority, in the lower chamber.