2026 POLLS: Takaichi Appears to Avoid Lower House Seat Cut Plan

Tokyo, Feb. 3 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appears to avoid discussing the proposed reduction in the number of House of Representatives seats during the campaign for Sunday's general election.

In their campaign platforms, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, pledge to "aim to enact a bill during the next Diet session" to reduce the number of Lower House seats by 10 pct.

However, Takaichi never mentioned this topic in her campaign speeches, during debates, or on X, formerly twitter, between Jan. 23, when she dissolved the Lower House for the snap election, and last Sunday.

In a parliamentary debate among party leaders last November, Yoshihiko Noda, co-leader of the new opposition Centrist Reform Alliance, who was leading the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan at that time, called for a review of the rules regarding political donations from companies and other organizations. In response, Takaichi said, "Instead of that, let's work on reducing the number of seats."

Takaichi's apparent avoidance of the issue now is believed to reflect concerns within the LDP about the proposed Lower House seat cut, observers said.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]