Overview
- Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has told LDP executives she intends to dissolve the lower house when the Diet opens on January 23, with voting reported as likely in early to mid-February if she proceeds.
- Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara reiterated that the timing of dissolution is the prime minister’s prerogative.
- Opposition parties are accelerating preparations, with the CDP seeking electoral coordination with Komeito and leader Yoshihiko Noda calling the move an election without a just cause, while the DPFP rushes to field candidates.
- Some senior LDP figures voice discontent over a decision-making process they say has bypassed broad party consultation.
- Editorial criticism says an unusual dissolution at a session’s opening could hinder passage of the 2026 initial budget and argues unresolved issues—including reported excess donations to the prime minister’s party branch and a nuclear possession remark by a government aide—should be addressed first.