Japanese elections: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi poised for landslide victory

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi on track to win snap elections by an overwhelming majority

Shaimaa Khalil,Correspondent in Tokyo,And

Josh Cheetham

Japan’s ruling party, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, is on track to win Sunday’s snap election by a landslide.

The coalition led by Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won 352 of 465 seats in Japan’s House of Representatives, according to figures compiled by public broadcaster NHK, with the LDP alone securing a majority of 316.

The country’s first female prime minister had sought to secure a clear public mandate by calling an election just four months after becoming party leader.

His apparent success contrasts sharply with that of his two predecessors, under whom the party lost its parliamentary majority due to corruption scandals and rising costs.

Takaichi had previously pledged to step down if her party failed to secure a majority, and some called the snap election a big gamble.

The LDP lost its majority in both houses of Parliament in 2024 and its decades-old coalition with the Komeito party collapsed.

But Takaichi’s personal popularity appears to have helped the party, with his government’s approval ratings generally topping 70 percent.

The LDP’s current coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, reportedly won 36 seats, with opposition parties winning a total of 113 seats, according to NHK figures.

Once officially confirmed, electoral success will give Takaichi ample room to advance his conservative agenda.

US President Donald Trump has already congratulated Takaichi on the projected victory, describing her as a “highly respected and very popular” leader.

“I wish you success in adopting your conservative agenda of peace through strength,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

He added: “The wonderful people of Japan, who voted with such enthusiasm, will always have my strong support.”

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hailed a “big victory” for Takaichi, saying “when Japan is strong, America is strong in Asia.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated Takaichi on this “historic” result, saying he was convinced that the friendship between India and Japan could reach “greater heights”.

Across Japan, residents braved the snow to vote in the country’s first winter vote in 36 years.

Japan’s Transport Ministry said 37 train lines and 58 ferry lines were closed and 54 flights were canceled as of Sunday morning. There was rare snowfall in Tokyo as people went to the polls.

“People want their lives to be better and more comfortable because we are so used to not having inflation. [costs rising]…so people are very worried. I think we need a long-term solution rather than short-term solutions,” Ritsuko Ninomiya, a voter in Tokyo, told the BBC.

Takaichi’s enthusiasm, populist spending promises and nationalist rhetoric appear to have energized voters.

His presence on social networks has also allowed him to gain new followers, particularly among young voters. She regularly shares snippets of her daily life and political activities, and a video of her playing drums with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is one of several clips that have gone viral.

“I think this election is more important for the younger generation, people like us,” said Daniel Hayama, adding that the cold was not an obstacle for young people who want to vote.

Takaichi and the LDP faced more unified opposition than before. Komeito, a former coalition partner of the LDP, joined forces with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan to form the largest opposition bloc in the lower house.

Takaichi has pushed to strengthen the immigration system, review rules regarding foreign ownership of Japanese land and combat any non-payment of taxes and health insurance by foreign nationals.

But in a country where only 3% of the population is foreign, critics accuse it of creating anxiety and division.

Critics, including businesses, are skeptical that his pledge to spend more and cut taxes will revive Japan’s flagging economy. The country’s public debt is already one of the highest among developed countries.

Relations with China – Japan’s largest trading partner – have also been strained, after Takaichi suggested last November that Japan could intervene militarily if China invaded Taiwan.

With a two-thirds majority, Takaichi would be in a strong position to realize his long-held goal of changing Japan’s pacifist constitution.

Takaichi has courted Trump, who has publicly supported him – an unusual move by a US president – and they both appear to agree that Japan should spend more on defense.

That relationship was also on voters’ minds as they headed to the polls on Sunday.

“I’m concerned about what President Trump is doing as well as national defense issues. I don’t know where the money is coming from to cover that. So balancing budgetary spending between defense and people’s lives is a major concern for me,” Yuko Sakai said.

Additional reporting by Kelly ng Nakayama