Japan has officially opened campaigning for its general election scheduled for February 8, with more than 1,270 candidates contesting 465 seats in the lower house of parliament. The poll will serve as a critical test for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is seeking a fresh mandate after reshaping the country’s governing alliances.
Campaign activities began on Tuesday, marking the first snap election since Takaichi assumed office in October. Voters will decide the composition of the powerful House of Representatives, which plays a central role in choosing the prime minister and setting national policy.
The contest takes place amid a major political realignment. Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) ended its 26-year coalition with Komeito and formed a new alliance with the Japan Innovation Party. On the other side, the Constitutional Democratic Party and Komeito have merged forces under the Centrist Reform Alliance, now the main opposition bloc. The LDP enters the race on weaker footing after losing its lower house majority in 2024 and its upper house majority last July.
Key issues shaping the race
Economic management tops the campaign agenda as voters grapple with rising prices. Parties are divided over proposals to suspend or scrap the food consumption tax, weighing short-term relief against long-term fiscal risks. Takaichi’s positions on public spending, foreign relations with China and the United States, and social reforms, including optional separate surnames for married couples, are also under close scrutiny. To form a government, a party or coalition must secure at least 233 seats.
How the vote will be decided
Japan will use its dual voting system for the election. Voters will cast one ballot for a local candidate in a single-member district and another for a political party under proportional representation. Of the 465 seats, 289 will come from constituency races, while 176 will be allocated across 11 proportional representation blocs. The result will shape the political course of the world’s fourth-largest economy.
