Exit poll shows Japan PM Takaichi's ruling bloc on path to win majority in lower house vote

Exit polls indicate Japan's PM Takaichi poised for a majority win, enabling her right-wing economic and military agenda.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s governing coalition is almost certain to win a single-party majority in a key parliamentary election on Sunday (February 8, 2026), NHK public television and other major networks say, citing their exit poll results.

NHK says Ms. Takaichi’s ruling coalition, led by her Liberal Democratic Party, could win more than two-thirds of the 465-seat lower house, the more powerful of the country’s two-chamber parliament.

The huge jump from the pre-election share could allow Ms. Takaichi to make progress on a right-wing agenda that aims to boost Japan’s economy and military capabilities as tensions grow with China, and she tries to nurture ties with Washington.

Ms. Takaichi took office in October as Japan’s first female leader.

Ms. Takaichi is hugely popular, but the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed Japan for most of the last seven decades, has struggled with funding and religious scandals. She called Sunday’s (February 8) snap elections only after three months in office, hoping to turn that around before her popularity fades.

She wants to make progress on a right-wing agenda that aims to boost Japan’s economy and military capabilities as tensions grow with China. She also wants to nurture ties with her crucial U.S. ally, and a sometimes-unpredictable President Donald Trump.