Overview
- Fresh surveys by Nikkei and Asahi project the LDP–Japan Innovation Party coalition winning 300-plus of the 465 lower-house seats, with Kyodo indicating the LDP alone could clear a single-party majority and party targets set on the 261-seat committee-control threshold.
- President Donald Trump issued a public endorsement and confirmed plans to host Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the White House on March 19, an invitation acknowledged by Japan’s government.
- Yomiuri’s final-stage polling shows the number of LDP candidates holding comfortable leads rose by 18 as the party deploys Takaichi to tight districts to convert her high approval into constituency wins.
- Markets remain cautious over her expansionary agenda, with Japanese government bond yields near multi-decade highs as investors weigh floated tax relief on food and larger public investment in sectors like semiconductors and AI.
- Election logistics face late uncertainty from heavy snowfall, with early voting down by more than 20% in some prefectures and parties urging supporters to cast ballots ahead of Sunday.