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February 13, 2026
 

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2026 LOWER HOUSE ELECTION

Newly elected Centrist Reform Alliance leader Junya Ogawa speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 13, 2026
Junya Ogawa elected leader of Centrist Reform Alliance
The former CDP lawmaker pledged to strengthen the CRA¡¯s internal structure as the party reels from its election defeat.
Yoshihiko Noda, co-leader of the Centrist Reform Alliance, waves during a campaign event in Osaka on Feb. 3. The alliance suffered a crushing defeat in the Feb. 8 election.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 13, 2026
Nothing ¡®unexpected¡¯ about the left¡¯s election blowout
The dominance of conservative parties reflects a longer-term shift in Japan¡¯s political center of gravity.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addresses a news conference at her ruling party's headquarters in Tokyo on Monday, a day after the Liberal Democratic Party won a landslide victory in the Lower House election.
EDITORIALS
Feb 13, 2026
After another historic victory, Takaichi takes command
Not only is she the country's first female prime minister and a symbol of a new Japan, her career also marks a break from traditional politics.
Police officers stand by as people wait for a campaign speech by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of the House of Representatives election, at Rekisen Park in Tokyo on Saturday. Police discovered 336 problematic posts through internet monitoring conducted as part of their efforts to prevent attacks by lone offenders.
JAPAN
Feb 12, 2026
336 online posts hinting attacks found during Lower House race
Police discovered the posts through internet monitoring conducted as part of their efforts to prevent attacks by lone offenders.
Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura speaks at a news conference on Monday in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Feb 12, 2026
Why coalition partner JIP is now set to take a Cabinet post
A JIP member is expected to take up a ministerial post sometime later this year.
Centrist Reform Alliance co-leader Yoshihiko Noda (right) speaks at the party's plenary assembly in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 11, 2026
CRA soul-searching begins with vote to elect new leader
After its disastrous defeat on Sunday, the fledgling Centrist Reform Alliance is hoping a new face at the top will help it find its bearings.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Japan Innovation Party head Hirofumi Yoshimura (left) meet in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 10, 2026
Yoshimura agrees to JIP presence in Takaichi Cabinet
It is not clear what position might be offered to the junior partner of the Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition.
Yuichiro Tamaki, head of the Democratic Party for the People, poses with his supporters during an election campaign event on the first day of campaigning for the Feb. 8 snap election, in Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 27.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 10, 2026
Takaichi¡¯s big win leaves opposition dividing unequal shares of the pie
Right-leaning parties and those with fresh ideas gained some ground, while those seen as touting the ¡®same-old¡¯ politics saw their fortunes decline.
The resounding victory by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party in Sunday's general election has sent a strong signal that Takaichi is likely to be around for some time, giving her the bandwidth to adhere to her strategy of putting the onus on Chinese President Xi Jinping to reengage with Japan.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Feb 10, 2026
Landslide election victory lets Takaichi confront China on her terms
Undeterred by Beijing¡¯s economic retaliation for Sanae Takaichi¡¯s Taiwan remarks, voters endorsed the prime minister¡¯s unyielding stance on China.
After the Liberal Democratic Party¡¯s landslide victory in Sunday¡¯s House of Representatives election, the United States plans to boost security and economic cooperation with Japan.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 10, 2026
U.S. plans to boost security and economic cooperation with Japan after LDP win
The result strengthens Takaichi's political foundation, a U.S. official said, making it easier to advance talks on 91²Ö¿â investment in and loans to the United States.
Posts referring to constitutional revision rose more than tenfold, from about 16,000 on Jan. 27 ¡ª the day the campaign officially began ¡ª to roughly 182,000 on the final day on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 10, 2026
Social media posts on Constitution and national security surged ahead of election
Debate on those policies intensified following media polls¡¯ prediction of a strong win for the LDP-JIP coalition.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo on Monday, a day after her ruling coalition secured an overwhelming majority in Sunday¡¯s Lower House vote.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 10, 2026
Takaichi¡¯s big win: A major victory for hard-nosed realism
The turnout was driven primarily by a craving for security. Voters rallied behind Takaichi¡¯s willingness to stand up to Chinese economic coercion and disinformation campaigns.
Taro Aso, vice president of the Liberal Democratic Party and a former prime minister, is the oldest winner in Sunday's Lower House election at 85 years old.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 10, 2026
91²Ö¿â Lower House grows younger as the average age of election winners falls
The average age of winners in Sunday's election was 54.7 years old.
Sanai Takaichi and the Liberal Democratic Party¡¯s landslide victory demonstrated that when candidates find compelling issues that affect their lives, young people show up.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 10, 2026
Japan¡¯s youth are quietly securing their nation¡¯s future
Young voters didn¡¯t just express opinions in polls, they showed up at voting stations in increased numbers, many for the first time.
Sanae Takaichi, prime minister and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, at the party¡¯s headquarters in Tokyo on Sunday
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Feb 9, 2026
Is Takaichi on course for a long-term reign?
The resounding win for the Liberal Democratic Party in Sunday¡¯s Lower House election might be the start of an enduring administration for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who also serves as president of the Liberal Democratic Party, stands next to LDP Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki (left) and party Election Strategy Chief Keiji Furuya, placing a red paper rose on the name of an elected candidate at LDP headquarters in Tokyo during the Lower House election on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 9, 2026
It¡¯s Sanae Takaichi¡¯s Japan, as PM¡¯s persona powers LDP to electoral success
Sunday¡¯s electoral triumph by the Liberal Democratic Party is less a master stroke of the party than a success of its indisputable architect: Takaichi herself.
Centrist Reform Alliance co-leaders Yoshihiko Noda (left) and Tetsuo Saito during a news conference on Monday in Tokyo
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Feb 9, 2026
The long road to recovery after the CRA¡¯s election loss
The new party must find new leadership after a crushing debut defeat.
The Nikkei 225 stock index crossed 57,000 for the first time on Monday following Sunday's election.
BUSINESS / Markets
Feb 9, 2026
Nikkei 225 rises 3.89% and hits record after Takaichi's big win on Sunday
The benchmark index hit an all-time high of 57,337.07 in the morning and is now up more than 45% over the past year.
Hikaru Fujita (second from left) greets people in the city of Azumino, Nagano Prefecture, on Feb. 3.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 9, 2026
With 68 seats, record-high female representation in Lower House slips slightly
The women account for 14.6% of all elected Lower House lawmakers, after female candidates secured a record 73 seats the 2024 general election.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi discusses the consumption tax cut last month before the Feb. 8 election.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 9, 2026
Takaichi¡¯s big victory might not be mandate for big spending
Fiscal hawks in the LDP and the bond market are expected to keep a lid on stimulus spending.
Germany considers joining GCAP fighter project with Japan, U.K. and Italy
A concept model of the Global Air Combat Program fighter jet on display at the Defense and Security Equipment International Japan conference in Chiba last May
Struggling Nissan forecasts $4.2 billion full-year net loss
Nissan intends to reduce the number of its vehicle production plants from 17 to 10 by March 2028, and is targeting 20,000 job cuts worldwide by that date.
Why Asia can¡¯t undo decades of falling fertility rates
Singapore¡¯s stalled birthrate reflects a broader pattern across wealthy Asian economies where higher living standards, shifting values and gender imbalances have made low fertility persistent and resistant to quick policy fixes.
Why we¡¯ll never see a yokozuna in the Super Bowl
Wrestlers from Onoe stable with Fujitsu Frontiers cornerback Al-Rilwan Adeyemi (front) at the Rice Bowl at Tokyo Dome on Jan. 3, 2017
Yen strengthens decisively after strong showing by LDP boosts confidence
The yen has strengthened decisively since the Liberal Democratic Party gained a supermajority in the Lower House.
Japanese skier hits back at trolls and brings attention to online abuse at Olympics
Freestyle skier Kokone Kondo skis during a training session in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 4.
Inside Yokohama¡¯s ¡®quit your job¡¯ bar, where drinks and advice are free
At the new Tenshoku Sodan Bar, owner Shota Umemoto (right) and recruiting staff from Yokohama-based LIA Group serve up cocktails and career advice in equal measure.
Landslide election victory lets Takaichi confront China on her terms
The resounding victory by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party in Sunday's general election has sent a strong signal that Takaichi is likely to be around for some time, giving her the bandwidth to adhere to her strategy of putting the onus on Chinese President Xi Jinping to reengage with Japan.
Is Takaichi on course for a long-term reign?
Sanae Takaichi, prime minister and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, at the party¡¯s headquarters in Tokyo on Sunday
Against the grain: Japanese wine aged in local barrels
At Buryu Winery, owner Keiji Yamaguchi (left) and assistant winemaker Kaede Narita created a cedar-infused red wine by fermenting it in a 1,000 liter "kioke" cedar tub.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

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