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Japan's PM Takaichi on course to win snap election by landslide
Japan's ruling party, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, is on course to win Sunday's snap election by a landslide.
The coalition led by Takaichi's Liberal Democrat Party (LDP) has won 352 of 465 seats in Japan's House of Representatives, figures collated by public broadcaster NHK suggest, with the LDP alone securing a majority of 316.
The country's first female prime minister had sought a clear public mandate by calling the election just four months after becoming party leader.
Her apparent success is in marked contrast to her two predecessors, under whom the party lost its parliamentary majority due to corruption scandals and rising costs.
Takaichi previously pledged to step down if her party failed to secure a majority, and some called the snap election a big gamble.
The LDP lost its majority in both houses of parliament in 2024, and its decades-old coalition with the Komeito party collapsed.
But Takaichi's personal popularity appears to have helped the party, with approval ratings for her government mostly hovering above 70%.
The LDP's current coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, is thought to have secured 36 seats, with opposition parties winning a combined 113 seats, according to NHK figures.
When officially confirmed, the election success will give Takaichi wide scope to push through her conservative agenda.
US President Donald Trump has already congratulated Takaichi on the projected victory, describing her as a "highly respected and very popular" leader.
"I wish you Great Success in passing your Conservative, Peace Through Strength Agenda," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
He added: "The wonderful people of Japan, who voted with such enthusiasm, will always have my strong support."
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hailed a "big victory" for Takaichi, saying "when Japan is strong, the US is strong in Asia".
Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi also congratulated Takaichi for the "landmark" result, saying he was confident India and Japan's friendship could be taken to "greater heights".
People across Japan braved snow to vote in the country's first mid-winter poll in 36 years.
Japan's transport ministry said 37 train lines and 58 ferry routes were closed and 54 flights cancelled as of Sunday morning. There was rare snowfall in Tokyo as people headed out to vote.
"People want their lives to be better and more comfortable because we are so accustomed to not having inflation [costs rising]... so people are very worried. I think we need a long-term solution rather than short-term fixes," Ritsuko Ninomiya, a voter in Tokyo, told the BBC.
Takaichi's enthusiasm, populist spending promises and nationalist rhetoric appear to have energised voters.
Her social media presence has also cultivated new followers, particularly among young voters. She regularly shares clips of her daily life and political activities, and a video of her playing the drums with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is one of many clips to have gone viral.
"I think this election is more important for the younger generation, people like us," Daniel Hayama said, adding that the cold weather was not a hurdle for young people who want to vote.
Takaichi and the LDP faced a more unified opposition than before. LDP's former coalition partner Komeito has joined forces with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan to form the largest opposition bloc in the lower house.
Takaichi has pushed to toughen the immigration system, review rules around foreign ownership of Japanese land, and tackle any non-payments of tax and health insurance by foreign nationals.
But in a country where only 3% of the population are foreign nationals, critics have accused her of creating anxiety and division.
Critics, including businesses, are sceptical that her pledge to spend more and cut taxes can revive the sluggish Japanese economy. The country's government debt is already one of the highest among developed nations.
Relations with China - Japan's largest trading partner - have been strained as well, after Takaichi suggested last November that Japan could intervene militarily if China invaded Taiwan.
With a two-thirds majority, Takaichi would be in a strong position to consider her long-held aim of changing Japan's pacifist constitution.
Takaichi has courted Trump, who has publicly endorsed her - an unusual move by a US president - and they both seem to agree that Japan should spend more on defence.
That relationship too was on voters' minds as they headed to the polls on Sunday.
"I am concerned with what President Trump is doing as well as the national defence issues. I am not sure where the money is coming from to cover that. So balancing budget spending between defence and people's life is a major concern for me," Yuko Sakai says.
Additional reporting by Kelly Ng and Chika Nakayama
Source: BBC
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