"Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced the dissolution of the House of Representatives on January 23 and called a snap general election for February 8 during a press briefing in Tokyo on Monday. "The Takaichi cabinet has launched a completely new economic and fiscal policy and initiated major shifts in policies that affect the very foundations of our country," Takaichi said. "Dissolving the Diet is an extremely difficult decision. It is a decision made so as not to run away, not to delay, and to decide Japan's future together with the people." "A country that does not take on challenges has no future. Hope cannot come from politics that only seek to preserve the status quo. Our future will not be created by waiting," she added. The dissolution will end the terms of all 465 lower house lawmakers and temporarily suspend budget talks ahead of a snap election. The vote will be Prime Minister Takaichi's first national test since taking office in October 2025, following the collapse of the LDP's alliance with Komeito. Her government says the early election is needed to win public backing for its economic policies, while opposition parties have criticised the timing. It comes with opinion polls showing that voters are split on the prime minister's political course. The February 8 ballot will decide both the next lower house and whether Takaichi retains public support to govern."