Sanae Takaichi hates Japan’s hot summers and especially the humid heat of the campaign trail between July and September. But the weather is not the only reason Japan’s prime minister has called for parliamentary elections in snowy February — the first winter elections in Japan in 36 years. The main impetus is her soaring popularity with voters. Weekend opinion polls show her with a 78% approval rating. Takaichi, who replaced Shigeru Ishiba as prime minister in late October, wants to cement her popularity at the ballot box. Victory could either help her pad the current razor-thin majority she has with her new coalition partner, the […]... Keep on reading: Japan: Popular Prime Minister Takaichi calls early election