Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hopes for a strong mandate in a snap election held under heavy snowfall, with results set to impact China relations and financial markets.
TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sought a resounding ballot box victory in a snap election held under heavy snowfall.
Opinion polls suggested her Liberal Democratic Party would easily regain a majority in the 465-member lower house.
Heavy snow blanketed Tokyo and other regions on election day, complicating travel for voters.
“I struggled to find a way to the ballot box as snow was accumulating around it,” a man in his 70s in Aomori told broadcaster NHK.
Voter turnout by mid-afternoon was 16.05%, a decrease from the previous lower house election.
Pollsters suggest the LDP and its coalition partner could secure the 310 seats needed for a two-thirds majority.
This would be the party’s best result since 2017 under the late Shinzo Abe.
Takaichi, a former heavy metal drummer and admirer of Margaret Thatcher, has proven a hit with voters since becoming leader in October.
Her campaign included a promise to suspend a consumption tax on food to ease inflation pain.
This follows a $135 billion stimulus package, raising concerns over Japan’s massive public debt.
“I don’t know whether that will actually lead us in a better direction,” voter Chika Sakamoto, 50, told AFP regarding Takaichi’s fiscal policy.
Takaichi’s early tenure has been marked by tense relations with China.
She suggested Japan could intervene militarily if Beijing sought to take Taiwan by force, prompting a furious reaction from China.
Beijing summoned Tokyo’s ambassador, warned its citizens against visiting Japan, and returned Japan’s last two pandas.
US President Donald Trump has endorsed Takaichi as a “strong, powerful, and wise Leader”.
Political analyst Margarita Estevez-Abe said the China episode raised Takaichi’s popularity further.
“The best scenario for Japan is that Takaichi kind of takes a deep breath and focuses on amending the relationship with China,” Estevez-Abe told AFP.
Polling stations closed at 8:00 pm with media predictions based on partial results expected shortly after.