Tokyo: Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party has secured a sweeping victory in the lower house election, delivering a two thirds supermajority to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and consolidating her position after only a few months in office.
Preliminary results reported by Japanese media showed the LDP winning 316 seats in the 465 member House of Representatives. The tally crossed both the absolute majority mark of 261 seats and the two thirds threshold required to pass key legislation. The outcome marked the strongest performance by the party since its founding in 1955 and exceeded its previous record set in 1986.
Speaking to public broadcaster NHK after the results, Takaichi said she was ready to move ahead with policies aimed at strengthening Japan and improving prosperity. She said her government would seek dialogue with opposition parties while advancing its agenda. At the LDP headquarters, she marked the victory by placing red ribbons beside winning candidates’ names as party leaders applauded.
The election was called early, three months after Takaichi assumed office, amid attempts to overcome public distrust caused by past funding and religious scandals linked to the party. Her direct style and emphasis on hard work attracted strong support, particularly among younger voters who had earlier stayed away from politics.
Despite lacking a majority in the upper house, the commanding position in the lower chamber gives Takaichi room to pursue policy shifts on security, defence, immigration, and economic strategy. Her allies have indicated support for faster movement on these priorities.
Opposition parties struggled to mount a unified challenge. A new centrist alliance failed to retain its earlier strength, while emerging far right groups gained limited ground.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Takaichi on the result and expressed confidence in deeper India Japan cooperation under her leadership.
