Japanese PM to detail plans to dissolve lower house for snap election on Jan. 19

Xinhua
15 Jan 2026, 06:45 GMT+10

TOKYO, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to give more details on Jan. 19 of her plan to dissolve the House of Representatives for a snap election, ruling party executives said after meeting with her Wednesday.

Hirofumi Yoshimura, head of the Japan Innovation Party, the coalition partner of Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party, told reporters that Takaichi has informed senior officials of the ruling coalition parties of her intention to dissolve the lower house at the initial stage of this year's ordinary parliamentary session and call a snap election.

If the lower house is dissolved shortly after the session opens on Jan. 23, there are two possible schedules for a snap election: one with official campaigning starting on Jan. 27 and voting on Feb. 8, and another with campaigning beginning on Feb. 3 and voting on Feb. 15.

The snap election is set to be held less than a year and a half after the previous one. Under Japan's Constitution, members of the lower house normally serve four-year terms unless the chamber is dissolved.

Takaichi's decision has drawn sustained criticism from within the LDP and from opposition parties, as many argue that an early general election could delay the passage of the fiscal 2026 budget, despite Takaichi's pledge to prioritize carrying out her policies, including measures to tackle rising prices.

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