Japan election highlights: Japan's 'Iron Lady' Takaichi records stunning win, PM Modi congratulates her

Japan election live updates: PM Takaichi won in a landmark victory crossing the 233 seat in snap elections.

Japan election highlights: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's coalition swept to a historic election win on Sunday, paving the way for promised tax cuts and a stronger defence system. Her party Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) alone sailed past the 233 seats needed for a majority less than two hours after polls closed, on track for one of its best ever election results. With her coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, known as Ishin, Takaichi now has a supermajority of two-thirds of seats. This will ease her legislative agenda as she can override the upper chamber, which she does not control.

What exit polls said?

The exit polls earlier showed that Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner Ishin are projected to win a combined 302 to 366 seats in the 465-member Lower House, Reuters reported citing NHK exit polls. Meanwhile, Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party was projected to win 274 to 328 of the 465 seats in the chamber, well above the 233 needed for a majority.

Japan's snap election | Top 10 points

1. Takaichi, 64, became prime minister in October after being selected as LDP leader and called the rare winter election to secure a fresh mandate while riding a wave of popularity.

2. Known for her straight-talking style and image as a hard worker, she has found strong backing among younger voters.

3. In office, she has moved quickly to accelerate military spending to counter China and has pushed for a sales-tax cut, a move that has unsettled financial markets.

4. Her appeal among younger voters has spilled over into popular culture, with a social media-driven phenomenon dubbed “sanakatsu,” centred on products she uses, such as her handbag and the pink pen she carries in parliament, a Reuters report added.

5. Adding to the campaign’s final stretch, Takaichi received the endorsement of US President Donald Trump on Thursday. While the backing may energise right-leaning voters, it also risks alienating some moderates.

6. If the LDP alone manages to win at least 233 seats, it would be seen as a decisive personal victory for Takaichi, cementing her authority in the Lower House.

7. Failure by the LDP–Ishin coalition to secure a combined majority could force Takaichi to resign, potentially pushing Japan back into political instability after cycling through four prime ministers in about three years, The Japan Times reported.

8. A total of 465 seats are up for grabs, including 289 from single-seat constituencies and 176 through proportional representation.

9. Polling stations close at 8 pm local time, with media projections expected shortly after, according to The Japan Times.

10. Opinion polls predict the conservative coalition led by PM SanaeTakaichi could win around 300 of the 465 seats in the lower house