- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has announced a snap national election for 8 February, aiming to capitalise on her strong public approval ratings.
- This election is her first electoral test since taking office in October, where she inherited a government with her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) having lost its parliamentary majority.
- Ms Takaichi hopes a decisive victory will restore the LDP's majority in the lower house, strengthening her ability to pass legislation and pursue policies like increased defence spending and economic growth.
- Key issues dominating the campaign are expected to be the rising cost of living, which 45 per cent of respondents cited as their main concern in a recent poll, alongside diplomacy and national security.
- The LDP currently holds 199 of the 465 lower house seats and governs with the Japan Innovation Party, while the main opposition has formed a new Centrist Reform Alliance with 172 seats.
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