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

Japan Election LIVE: Takaichi’s governing coalition led by her Liberal Democratic Party could also win more than two-thirds of the 465-seat lower house, the more powerful of the country’s two-chamber parliament. That's a level that would allow the governing bloc to dominate house committee chairs to steer policy and budget bills.

NHK, citing results of early vote counts, said the LDP alone secured 244 seats, surpassing a majority at 233.

Japan Election LIVE: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Sunday that she would conduct a "responsible" fiscal policy after media projections showed her triumphing in snap lower house elections.

"We have consistently stressed the importance of responsible and proactive fiscal policy," AFP reported citing Takaichi

Japan Election LIVE: Weeks after taking office, Takaichi touched off the biggest dispute with Beijing in over a decade by publicly outlining how Tokyo might respond to a Chinese attack on Taiwan.

China responded with several economic countermeasures, including urging its citizens not to travel to Japan.

A strong Takaichi mandate could also accelerate her plans to bolster Japan's defences, further angering Beijing, which has cast her as attempting to revive its militaristic past.

Japan Election LIVE: Outside a polling station in the town of Uonuma, teacher Kazushige Cho braved below-freezing temperatures to cast his vote for Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party.

"It feels like she’s creating a sense of direction - like the whole country pulling together and moving forward. That really resonates with me," Reuters quoted him as saying.

But younger voters are among the most supportive of Takaichi, with one recent poll finding more than 90% of those under 30 favoured her.

Japan Election LIVE: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secretary general Shunichi Suzuki told Japanese media, “We received backing for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's responsible, proactive fiscal policies and a strengthening of national defence capabilities.”

The LDP alone was seen winning about 300 of the 465 seats up for grabs, up from 198, and regaining a majority lost in 2024.

Japan Election LIVE: Voters have been drawn to her straight-talking, hardworking image, but her nationalistic leanings and emphasis on security have strained ties with powerful neighbour China, while her promises of tax cuts have rattled financial markets.

She wants to make progress on a right-wing agenda that aims to boost Japan’s economy and military capabilities as tensions grow with China.

Japan Election LIVE: Japan is holding a general election in February for the first time in 36 years, a decision by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that has drawn criticism as heavy snowfall in many regions makes campaigning difficult.

Takaichi’s abrupt call for a snap election has also been criticised for prioritising political strategy over governance. Kyodo news agency reported that the move is certain to delay the parliamentary enactment of the initial 2026 budget, originally expected by the end of March ahead of the start of the fiscal year in April.

Japan Election LIVE: PM Takaichi wants to make progress on a right-wing agenda that aims to boost Japan’s economy and military capabilities as tensions grow with China. She also wants to nurture ties with her crucial US ally, President Donald Trump.

Takaichi is hugely popular, but the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed Japan for most of the last seven decades, has struggled with funding and religious scandals.

Japan Election LIVE: Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party is set to win 274 to 328 of the 465 seats in the chamber, well above the 233 needed for a majority, according to NHK.

Japan's first female prime minister called the rare winter snap election to capitalise on her buoyant personal approval ratings since she was elevated to lead the ruling LDP late last year.

Japan Election LIVE: 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.

Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party is set to win 274 to 328 of the 465 seats in the chamber, well above the 233 needed for a majority, according to NHK.

Japan Election LIVE: In some recent polls, support for Takaichi among those aged between 18 and 29 is nearly 90%. A survey by public broadcaster NHK taken right after Takaichi took office put her approval rating at 77% among 18-to-39-year-olds, compared with 38% and 51% respectively for her immediate predecessors, Shigeru Ishiba and Fumio Kishida, when they began their terms.

A win by Takaichi’s coalition could mean a significant shift to the right in Japan’s security, immigration and other policies

Japan Election LIVE: Officials in Japan have decided to close some polling stations early Sunday amid possible safety hazards from winter weather.

Misasa, a town in Tottori Prefecture in western Japan, is closing 11 out of its 20 ballot stations at 6 pm, two hours earlier than the official hours, due to heavy snow, Bloomberg reported.

Japan Election LIVE: The latest data showed voter turnout on Sunday was 21.64% as of 4 pm local time, compared with 24.3% at the same time during the last election, Bloomberg reported, citing the internal affairs ministry.

About 26% of eligible voters had already cast their ballots in early voting as of Saturday, the ministry said.

Japan Election LIVE: About 20% of eligible voters, roughly 20.8 million, cast their ballots in early voting as of Friday, the internal affairs ministry said Saturday. In the last election, 16.43 million voters, or 15% of the electorate, had voted by that time, Bloomberg reported

Voter turnout was 16.05% as of 2 p.m. local time, compared with 19.12% at the same time during the last election, according to the internal affairs ministry.

Japan Election LIVE: Snow blanketed several areas of Tokyo on Sunday as a powerful winter pressure pattern tightened its grip over the country. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), a strong winter pressure system has continued over the weekend.

Chiyoda Ward in central Tokyo recorded around 5 centimetres of snow as of 4 p.m. Sunday, while nearby Chiba, Saitama and Ibaraki prefectures also saw up to 9 cm in some areas, Japan Times reported.

Japan Election LIVE: A win by Takaichi’s coalition could mean a significant shift to the right in Japan’s security, immigration and other policies, with its right-wing partner JIP's leader Hirofumi Yoshimura saying his party will serve as an “accelerator,” AP reported.

Takaichi has pledged to revise security and defense policies by December to bolster Japan’s offensive military capabilities, lifting a ban on weapons exports and moving further away from the country’s postwar pacifist principles.

Japan Election LIVE: With almost a metre of snow forecast to fall in northern regions, some voters battled blizzard conditions to pass their verdict on Takaichi's administration. It is only the third postwar election held in February, with elections typically called during milder months.

Nationwide, 37 train lines and 58 ferry routes were halted on Sunday morning, Reuters reported, citing the transport ministry. Japan Airlines and ANA cancelled a combined 230 domestic flights.

Japan Election LIVE: One of the leading issues in the election is the cost-of-living crunch for families dealing with the first consistent bout of inflation in a generation.

Both the Liberal Democratic Party of PM Takaichi and Centrist Reform Alliance favour lowering the sales tax on food to zero to help households, but the LDP is looking at a temporary measure while the CRA wants the move to be permanent.

The smaller rivals include the Democratic Party for the People, a centre-right grouping that is looking to raise people’s take-home pay and temporarily reduce the sales tax across the board.

Japan Election LIVE: Younger voters are among the most supportive of Takaichi, with one recent poll finding more than 90% of those under 30 favoured her, Reuters reported.

The prime minister has sparked an unlikely youth-led craze called "sanakatsu", roughly translated as "Sanae-mania", with the products she uses, such as her handbag and the pink pen she scribbles notes with in parliament, in high demand.

That young cohort, however, is less likely to vote than the older generations that have long been the bedrock of LDP support.

Japan Election LIVE: Heavy snowfall blanketed many parts of the country on election day, including Tokyo and other regions that rarely see winter snow.

A 50-year-old voter told AFP, “I think it's important to come, so that we can properly take part in politics as well.”

People expressed difficulty in finding balllot box. Another voter said, “I struggled to find a way to the ballot box as snow was accumulating around it, and it was a pain to arrive here with bad road conditions.”

"I wish the election were held in a snowless season," he added.

1. Polling stations opened Sunday for Japan’s Lower House election, widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

2. Severe winter storms have blanketed parts of the country, with snowfall even in Tokyo, slowing voter turnout. By 11 am, turnout was 7.17%, and by 2 pm, it had reached 16.05%, down from the same points in the 2024 election, according to the ministry of internal affairs and communications, cited by Kyodo news agency.

3. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has pledged to “immediately resign” if her ruling coalition fails to secure a majority in the powerful lower house. A strong showing would consolidate her authority and allow her to advance her policy agenda.

4. Takaichi’s popularity among younger voters is unusually high. Recent polls show nearly 90% support among those aged 18–29, and an NHK survey shortly after she took office put her approval rating at 77% among 18–39-year-olds, far higher than her immediate predecessors.

5. Takaichi has campaigned on expanding government spending in key industries, restoring Japan’s global competitiveness, and tightening immigration rules. On household economics, she is backing a temporary cut in the sales tax on food. She also signals plans to boost defense spending.

Japan Election LIVE: Throughout her campaign, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has promised to expand government spending in key industries, restore Japan’s global economic competitiveness, and implement tougher immigration policies, as reported by Japan Times.

On the cost-of-living front, she and her party are pushing to cut the sales tax on food, though the LDP is proposing a temporary measure compared with the opposition’s call for a permanent reduction.

Japan Election LIVE: US President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of Japan’s election, also extending an invitation for her to visit the White House on March 19.

“Prime Minister Takaichi is someone who deserves powerful recognition for the job she and her Coalition are doing,” Trump wrote in a social media post on Thursday, signaling backing that could appeal to right-leaning voters.

Japan Election LIVE: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is showing unusually high support among younger voters, with recent polls indicating nearly 90% backing from those aged 18 to 29.

A survey by public broadcaster NHK conducted soon after she took office put her approval rating at 77% among 18-to-39-year-olds, far higher than her immediate predecessors, Shigeru Ishiba and Fumio Kishida, who had approval ratings of 38% and 51% respectively at the start of their terms.

Japan Election LIVE: Voter turnout stood at 16.05% as of 2 pm local time, down from 19.12% at the same point in the last election, according to Japan’s ministry of internal affairs and communications, cited by Bloomberg.

The lower-than-expected turnout comes as heavy snowfall continues to affect parts of the country, potentially slowing voters on election day.