TOKYO - Japan's 51st House of Representatives election was held on February 8 with ballots counted the same day, delivering a sweeping victory for the Liberal Democratic Party, which significantly increased its strength from before the official campaign and secured more than two-thirds of the 465 seats in the chamber on its own, surpassing 310 seats and achieving a landslide win.
A second Takaichi Cabinet will be formed through a coalition with the Japan Innovation Party. The centrist reform alliance suffered a heavy defeat and is expected to fall to less than half of its pre-election total of 167 seats, with a series of senior figures and veteran lawmakers formerly affiliated with the Constitutional Democratic Party losing their seats. Sanseito sharply expanded its representation, while Team Mirai secured its first-ever seats in the lower house, marking a significant breakthrough.
The result marked what broadcasters described as a historic landslide, with the LDP alone winning more than half of all seats in the House of Representatives, allowing Takaichi to continue governing without reliance on coalition partners.
When combined with seats held by the Japan Innovation Party, the ruling bloc surpassed the two-thirds threshold in the chamber, giving it the numbers needed to initiate constitutional revisions and override Upper House opposition if required.
Takaichi said following the election that there would be no major changes to cabinet appointments, signaling continuity in policy direction and leadership as her administration moves into its next phase with a strengthened parliamentary position.
Source: Kyodo
