Japan’s PM on track for vote blizzard in winter poll
Tim Kelly and John Geddie |
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s party is set to secure a big majority in Japan’s lower house election, public broadcaster NHK has forecast based on exit polls.
Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party is set to win 274 to 328 of the 465 seats in the chamber, well above the 233 needed for a majority, according to NHK.
Japan’s first female prime minister, 64, called the rare winter snap election to capitalise on her buoyant personal approval ratings since she was elevated to lead the ruling LDP late in 2025.
Voters have been drawn to her straight-talking, hardworking image, but her nationalistic leanings and emphasis on security have strained ties with powerful neighbour China, while her promises of tax cuts have rattled financial markets.
“If Takaichi wins big, she will have more political room to follow through on key commitments, including on consumption-tax cuts,” said Seiji Inada, managing director at FGS Global, a consultancy.
“Markets could react in the following days, and the yen could come under renewed pressure.”
She has promised to suspend the eight per cent sales tax on food for two years to help households cope with rising prices, partly driven by the yen’s sharp fall.
Takaichi generated a social media-led wave, mostly among younger voters, of a Sanae-mania called “sanakatsu” for products she uses, such as her handbag and the pink pen she scribbles notes with in parliament.
A recent opinion poll found voters younger than 30 favoured her by more than 90 per cent.
Takaichi received the endorsement of US President Donald Trump on Thursday, a signal that might appeal to right-leaning voters but could also put off some moderates.
With up to 70cm of snow forecast in northern and eastern regions on Sunday, some voters had to battle blizzards to pass their verdict on her administration.
It was only the third postwar election held in February, with elections typically called during milder months.
Even the capital Tokyo was given a rare dusting of snow, causing some minor traffic disruptions.
Nationwide, 37 train lines and 58 ferry routes were halted and 54 flights cancelled as of Sunday morning, the transport ministry said.
In Nagaoka in the rural northern prefecture of Niigata, where snow was piled more than one metre high along the roadsides on Saturday, campaigners urged people to vote early to avoid expected snowstorms.
Voters were electing lawmakers in 289 single-seat constituencies, with the rest decided by proportional-representation votes for parties.
Reuters
