Overview
- Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told ruling LDP–Ishin leaders she will move to dissolve the House of Representatives at the start of the Jan. 23 Diet session, with Jan. 27 public notice and a Feb. 8 vote under discussion.
- LDP and Japan Innovation Party leaders signaled they will not coordinate single‑member district candidates, shaping a more competitive field despite their coalition.
- With too little time to pass the full fiscal 2026 budget, officials expect a stopgap plan to cover essential outlays such as social security and public-sector pay.
- Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura urged the prime minister to justify the timing, warning the initial budget may miss enactment within the current fiscal year.
- Parties accelerated preparations as the LDP instructed candidate filings by Jan. 19 and the yen traded in the low ¥159 per dollar range on the Tokyo market.