Overview
- The lower house was dissolved in a Diet session where Speaker Fukushiro Nukaga read the decree, setting a Feb. 8 vote after a brief campaign.
- Takaichi framed the election as a public verdict on her leadership, saying she is staking her job on the outcome.
- The ruling Liberal Democratic Party partners with the Japan Innovation Party, while former ally Komeito joined the Constitutional Democratic Party to form the Centrist Reform Alliance.
- The cabinet approved a record 122.3 trillion yen budget for the fiscal year starting in April, and opposition parties warn the snap poll could delay its passage.
- December core inflation eased to 2.4% yet remains above the central bank’s target, as Takaichi pushes higher defense spending and looser arms‑export limits, heightening tensions with China and aligning with calls from U.S. President Donald Trump to spend more on defense.