key takeaways
- The general election campaign began on Tuesday, 27 January, with 1285 candidates competing for 465 seats.
- Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae has raised the stakes for the campaign, warning that if her coalition cannot retain a majority in the lower house she will have no choice but to resign.
- She is simultaneously competing with the opposition Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA) for older voters and with multiple right-of-center parties for younger voters.
- In contrast to previous Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) prime ministers, Takaichi needs to raise turnout, particularly among younger voters, which could be a challenge given the weather, the timing during exam season, and their generally poor turnout.