Japan PM Takaichi: Ruling party's victory gives mandate for policy shifts

Takaichi told a press briefing a day after the election that Japan needs to depart from its "excessive fiscal austerity" by implementing her "responsible yet aggressive" fiscal policies, and that the ruling camp led by the Liberal Democratic Party will continue to seek cooperation from opposition parties as it remains in a minority in the House of Councillors.

She also expressed readiness to work toward amending the pacifist Constitution, the LDP's long-held goal, as the ruling camp's two-thirds majority in the election moved it closer to having the power to initiate constitutional revision.

Proposals to amend the Constitution need the backing of at least two-thirds of legislators in both chambers of parliament to be put to a national referendum. The next upper house election is scheduled for 2028.

The LDP and its junior coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, aim to introduce an emergency clause into the Constitution that would give the government greater powers in the event of a major disaster or armed attack.

The LDP has also been calling for clarification of the legal status of the Self-Defense Forces to put an end to the debate over whether they are unconstitutional.

"Yesterday, I received strong encouragement from the public to go ahead with policy shifts, and I would like to extend my sincere gratitude," Takaichi said. "There is no future for a nation that does not take on challenges."

On the LDP's campaign pledge to suspend the 8% consumption tax on food products for two years, Takaichi said that her government will advance discussions on its schedule and funding source at a cross-party national council, aiming to reach an interim conclusion by summer.

With approval ratings for Takaichi's Cabinet remaining high since she took office in October, the LDP and the JIP gained a combined 352 seats, including one independent member who was later endorsed by the LDP on Sunday.

By party, the LDP secured 316 seats, up from 198 it had held, while the JIP, known as Nippon Ishin, increased its seat total by two to 36. The two parties did not coordinate their candidates in the election.

The two parties' coalition had only a razor-thin majority in the lower house with the support of some independents before it was dissolved late last month.

The election, meanwhile, dealt a debilitating blow to the newly launched major opposition Centrist Reform Alliance, whose seats plunged from 167 to 49, prompting its co-leaders, Yoshihiko Noda and Tetsuo Saito, to announce their intention to resign at a joint press conference on Monday.

Noda, a former prime minister, said he will "take responsibility for this historic defeat" and that the party's new leadership will be decided by Feb. 18, when the government and the ruling parties are considering convening a special parliamentary session.

At the outset of the special session, Takaichi is expected to be reelected as prime minister. She has said she has no plans to change the Cabinet lineup, while effectively urging the JIP to field a minister.

The JIP decided not to take Cabinet posts when forming the coalition in October, apparently reflecting a cautious stance toward the LDP.

The Sanseito party, a populist group known for its "Japanese First" slogan, secured 15 seats, up from 2 before the election, while Team Mirai, which advocates adopting digital technologies to enhance political participation, won its first seats in the lower house with 11.

Voter turnout stood at 56.26% in the constituencies and 56.25% in the proportional representation section, against 53.85% and 53.84%, respectively, in the previous election, the internal affairs ministry said.

Early voting received a boost as a record 27.02 million people cast their ballots in the days prior to Sunday, up around 6 million from the lower house election in 2024.

As reported earlier, Japan's ruling LDP won over 2/3 lower house majority under PM Takaichi.