Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secured a landslide victory in weekend snap elections, winning 315 seats and securing a two-thirds majority in the lower house, official results confirmed on Tuesday.
The result marks the strongest performance in the LDP’s history and hands Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first woman leader, a powerful mandate to shape policy in the world’s third-largest economy over the next four years.
The LDP’s coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), won 36 seats, bringing the ruling bloc’s total to 351 lawmakers in the 465-member House of Representatives, according to data from the internal affairs ministry.
In the previous parliament, the LDP held just 198 seats, while the JIP had 34.
The election also saw gains for the anti-immigration Sanseito party, which increased its representation to 15 seats, up from two.
By contrast, the newly formed Centrist Reform Alliance—a merger of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party and the LDP’s former coalition partner Komeito—suffered a heavy defeat, with its seat count collapsing to 49 from 167.
The two-thirds majority allows the government to override decisions by the upper house, where the ruling coalition remains in the minority. It also gives Takaichi the option of pursuing constitutional reform, a politically sensitive objective she has previously indicated she wishes to explore.
“This is the beginning of a heavy responsibility to make Japan stronger and more prosperous,” the 64-year-old prime minister told a news conference on Monday.
“We believe the public has shown understanding and sympathy for our call for an urgent shift in policy,” she said.
Takaichi called the snap election last month, capitalising on a strong start after becoming Japan’s fifth prime minister in as many years in October.
Despite her historic position as the country’s first woman premier, she has largely avoided framing her leadership in terms of gender in Japan’s male-dominated political landscape. The number of women lawmakers fell to 68 from 73, according to the official results.
Still, Takaichi has proved popular with voters, particularly younger ones, drawing attention for her public appearances and social media presence, including moments shared with South Korea’s president.
Challenges ahead
Takaichi now faces a range of challenges, including helping households cope with rising prices, reviving economic growth and reassuring investors about Japan’s strained public finances.
Her government is also under pressure to deliver on a pledge to US President Donald Trump to invest around $550 billion in the United States.
Amid the rise of the populist Sanseito party, Takaichi has vowed to tighten immigration rules, while relations with China remain tense. In November, she suggested Japan could intervene militarily if Beijing attempted to seize Taiwan by force.
China, which considers the self-governed island part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to assert control, reacted angrily. On Monday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson again urged Japan to retract the comments.
Takaichi has also pledged to increase defence spending, reinforcing Japan’s role as a close US ally. Beijing has warned that what it described as “reckless” actions by Tokyo would provoke a “resolute response from the international community”.
