Japan in February 2026: the most important developments in politics
In Japan in February 2026, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party won a landslide in a snap general election on February 8, securing a supermajority in the lower house. The main opposition parties lost seats, the co-leaders of the Constitutional Democratic Party resigned, and Kenta Izumi was chosen as its new leader on February 13. The Sanseito party increased its lower house representation more than sixfold. Before the vote, US President Donald Trump endorsed Takaichi, and the Japanese Communist Party chairman called this unacceptable foreign interference. Trump later claimed credit for the result. Lawsuits were filed to nullify the election over voter disparities. On February 18 parliament re-elected Takaichi, her cabinet having resigned as part of the formal process. She pledged policy shifts centred on economic security, a stronger defence posture and the Japan-US alliance, and said she would speed up consumption tax legislation.
Relations with China stayed strained. Beijing criticized Takaichi for pairing calls for dialogue with actions it said stoke confrontation, and China's foreign minister, foreign ministry and defence ministry accused Japan of reviving militarism. Japan lodged a protest over such accusations from a Chinese diplomat. China also urged Japan to respect fisheries agreements after Japan detained a Chinese fishing vessel, and a Chinese envoy said China would respond to any Japanese intervention on Taiwan. Russia's foreign ministry said Japan's actions were pushing relations toward a "point of no return" and that Moscow's sovereignty over the Kuril Islands is not open to revision.
On defence and economic security, the ruling party approved a proposal to expand arms exports and moved to ease restrictions on defence exports. The government plans to amend the economic security law and revise its Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy. Japan postponed a decision on joining Trump's Board of Peace, and Takaichi is due to visit the White House on March 19.
At month end Takaichi faced criticism from opposition parties after saying catalog gifts had been given to 315 lawmakers, and the opposition demanded an explanation from a deputy chief cabinet secretary over a slush fund scandal.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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