Tokyo, January 17, 2026 – The Europe Today: Japan’s government announced on Friday that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will hold a press conference on Monday evening, during which she is expected to formally declare her intention to call a snap general election. According to media reports, the prime minister is likely to dissolve the House of Representatives at the start of the ordinary parliamentary session, scheduled to convene on January 23.
At the press briefing, Prime Minister Takaichi is anticipated to outline the specific schedule for the next Lower House election and provide her rationale for dissolving the key legislative chamber. Political analysts and the public alike will closely watch the announcement to gauge the criteria the prime minister will use to define electoral success.
Earlier this week, the prime minister discussed her plan with Shunichi Suzuki, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Hirofumi Yoshimura, leader of the Japan Innovation Party, the LDP’s coalition partner, regarding the early dissolution of the Lower House during the upcoming parliamentary session.
