STORY: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's coalition swept to a landslide election win on Sunday (February 8), paving the way for her tax cuts that have spooked financial markets and military spending aimed at countering China.

The conservative Takaichi, Japan's first female leader who says she is inspired by Britain's "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher, was projected to deliver as many as 328 of the 465 seats in parliament's lower house for her Liberal Democratic Party.

Running against the coalition is Japan's largest opposition, the Centrist Reform Alliance party (CRA), a new political party led by former prime minister Yoshihiko Noda and Tetsuo Saito, leader of Komeito — a party that ended its 26‑year alliance with the LDP last year - in an attempt to present a united front against the ruling coalition that they see as too right-leaning.

The 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, easing her legislative agenda as she can override the upper chamber, which she does not control.

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

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: TOKYO, JAPAN (FEBRUARY 8, 2026) (FOREIGN POOL - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF JAPAN'S PRIME MINISTER SANAE TAKAICHI PINNING A RED FLOWER NEXT TO WINNING LDP (LIBERAL DEMOCRAT PARTY) CANDIDATE

2. TAKAICHI LOOKING ON

3. TAKAICHI AND LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY MEMBERS BOWING

4. SIGN READING (Japanese): "LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY"

5. FLOWER PINNED ON TOP OF TAKAICHI'S NAME

6. TAKAICHI SEATED FOR INTERVIEW WITH LOCAL NETWORKS

7. PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PICTURES

8. LDP SIGN, TAKAICHI

9. TAKAICHI LOOKING ON

TOKYO, JAPAN (FEBRUARY 8, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

10. VARIOUS OF LEADERS OF MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY, THE CENTRIST REFORM ALLIANCE: (LEFT) FORMER PRIME MINISTER YOSHIHIKO NODA AND (RIGHT) LEADER OF KOMEITO PARTY, TETSUO SAITO, SEATED ON STAGE

11. REPORTERS

12. NODA AND SAITO ON STAGE

13. PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PICTURES

14. NODA AND SAITO