The Tamesis
January 16, 2026
Tokyo ——Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae effectively fired the starting gun for preparations for the next general election.
On Wednesday, Takaichi informed ruling party executives of her intention to dissolve the House of Representatives as early as possible during the upcoming regular session of Congress. The prime minister took the step after deciding that political parties needed to get their preparations in full swing, given that the time between dissolution and voting would be the shortest of any election held since World War II.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, will now step up their efforts to propose candidates and draft campaign promises.
Takaichi was initially prepared to temporarily delay any disbandment announcement, in part due to her busy diplomatic schedule, which includes a visit by Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni. She also hopes to provide a calm environment for Saturday’s commemoration of the anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake.
However, a senior Liberal Democratic Party official told the Yomiuri Shimbun that many party members were worried that this approach meant they “could not officially start” preparations for the election and “wouldn’t have enough time to print manifesto materials and other documents.”
An LDP heavyweight also offered some candid advice directly to Takaichi, saying she “should at least tell the party secretaries-general” about her plans to disband.
The influence of high school freshman
The Liberal Democratic Party has basically completed the work of finding and selecting candidates. On Tuesday, party leaders issued a notice in the name of the secretary-general and chairman of the election strategy committee, instructing prefectural chapters of the Liberal Democratic Party to fill constituencies that still lack candidates by Monday. If the chapter is unable to meet the deadline, the party headquarters will decide on a suitable candidate, the notification said.
The LDP plans not to field candidates in districts controlled by Komeito lawmakers, who have been exploring ways to work with their former coalition partners. “Beyond these seats, the number of vacant constituencies is in single digits,” said a senior Election Commission official.
The Liberal Democratic Party is expected to highlight Takaichi’s preferences in its campaign promises. “We will listen to the prime minister’s ideas and then determine the main policy guidelines,” said a senior official at the party’s policy research association. The content of these policies may be finalized as early as the first half of next week.
In a poll conducted by the Yomiuri Shimbun, the most common reason respondents gave for supporting Takaichi was “high expectations for her policies.” Opposition parties are strongly opposed to Taka City’s flagship policies, such as those targeting foreign residents and strengthening the country’s intelligence collection and analysis capabilities.
“If we can get more public support in elections, it will be easier to advance these policies,” a close aide to Takahiro said.
JIP, LDP will face off
JIP has decided to field nearly 80 candidates in single-seat constituencies. In principle, the party does not plan to coordinate with the Liberal Democratic Party on whether to field candidates in certain constituencies.
“We said we would all participate in this election,” JIP leader Hirobumi Yoshimura told reporters after meeting with Takaichi on Wednesday. “That’s how our new alliance will work.”
According to statistics from the “Yomiuri Shimbun”, the Liberal Democratic Party and JIP will field competing candidates in about 65 constituencies, including 11 in JIP’s hometown of Osaka and 8 in Hyogo Prefecture.
Several local councilors in JIP have recently been found to have evaded paying National Health Insurance premiums. The scandal could damage the Japan Independence Party electorally, especially if it joins the opposition in a head-on clash with the Liberal Democratic Party.
“The Japan Independence Party will inevitably face an uphill battle outside of Osaka,” said a mid-level lawmaker from the Japan Independence Party, sharing a view widely held within the party.
