海角大神

The governing party of Prime Minister聽Sanae Takaichi聽secured a two-thirds supermajority in a key parliamentary election Sunday, Japanese media reported citing preliminary results, earning a landslide victory thanks to her popularity.

Ms. Takaichi, in a televised interview with public television network NHK following her sweeping victory, said she is now ready to pursue policies that would make Japan strong and prosperous.

NHK, citing results of vote counts, said Ms. Takaichi鈥檚 Liberal Democratic Party, or LDP, alone secured 316 seats by early Monday, comfortably surpassing a 261-seat absolute majority in the 465-member lower house, the more powerful of Japan's two-chamber parliament. That marks a record since the party's foundation in 1955 and surpasses the previous record of 300 seats won in 1986 by late Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone.

A smiling Ms. Takaichi placed a big red ribbon above each winner鈥檚 name on a signboard at the LDP's headquarters, as accompanying party executives applauded.

Despite the lack of a majority in the other chamber, the upper house, the huge jump from the preelection share in the superior lower house would allow Ms. Takaichi to make progress on a right-wing agenda that aims to boost Japan鈥檚 economy and military capabilities as tensions grow with China and she tries to nurture ties with the United States.

Ms. Takaichi said that she would firmly push forward her policy goals while trying to gain support from the opposition.

鈥淚 will be flexible,鈥� she said.

Ms. Takaichi is hugely popular, but the governing LDP, which has ruled Japan for most of the last seven decades, has struggled with funding and religious scandals in recent years. She called Sunday鈥檚 early election only after three months in office, hoping to turn that around while her popularity is high.

Popular leader

The ultraconservative Ms. Takaichi, who took office as Japan鈥檚 first female leader in October, pledged to聽鈥渨ork, work, work,鈥澛燼nd her style, which is seen as聽both playful and tough, has resonated with younger fans who say they weren't previously interested in politics.

The opposition, despite the formation of a new centrist alliance and a rising far-right, was too splintered to be a real challenger. The new opposition alliance of LDP鈥檚 former coalition partner, Buddhist-backed dovish Komeito, and the liberal-leaning Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, is projected to sink to half of their combined preelection share of 167 seats.

Ms. Takaichi was betting with this election that her LDP party, together with its new partner, the Japan Innovation Party, would secure a majority.

Akihito Iwatake, an office worker, said he welcomed the big win by the LDP because he felt the party went too liberal in the past few years. 鈥淲ith Takaichi shifting things more toward the conservative side, I think that brought this positive result,鈥� he said.

Ms. Takaichi's policies

The prime minister wants to push forward a significant shift to the right in Japan鈥檚 security, immigration, and other policies. The LDP's right-wing partner, JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura, has said his party will serve as an 鈥渁ccelerator鈥� for this push.

Japan has recently seen far-right populists gain ground, such as the聽anti-globalist and surging nationalist party Sanseito. Exit polls projected a big gain for Sanseito.

The first major task for Ms.聽Takaichi when the lower house reconvenes in mid-February is to work on a budget bill, delayed by the election, to fund economic measures that address rising costs and sluggish wages.

Ms.聽Takaichi has pledged to revise聽security and defense policies聽by December to bolster Japan鈥檚 offensive military capabilities, lifting a ban on weapons exports and moving further away from the country鈥檚 postwar pacifist principles.

She has been pushing for tougher policies on foreigners, anti-espionage, and other measures that resonate with a far-right audience, but ones that experts say could undermine civil rights.

Ms.聽Takaichi also wants to increase defense spending in response to聽U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 pressure for Japan聽to loosen its purse strings.

She now has time to work on these policies, without an election until 2028.

Divisive policies

Though Ms.聽Takaichi said that she's seeking to win support for policies seen as divisive in Japan, she largely avoided discussing ways to fund soaring military spending, how to fix diplomatic tension with China, and other issues.

In her campaign speeches, Ms.聽Takaichi enthusiastically talked about the need for proactive government spending to fund 鈥渃risis management investment and growth,鈥� such as measures to strengthen economic security, technology, and other industries. Ms.聽Takaichi also seeks to push tougher measures on immigration, including stricter requirements for foreign property owners and a cap on foreign residents.

Sunday's election 鈥渦nderscores a problematic trend in Japanese politics in which political survival takes priority over substantive policy outcomes,鈥� said Masato Kamikubo, a Ritsumeikan University politics professor. 鈥淲henever the government attempts necessary but unpopular reforms ... the next election looms.鈥�

Impact of snow

Sunday鈥檚 vote coincided with fresh snowfall across the country, including in Tokyo. Record聽snowfall in northern Japan聽over the past few weeks blocked roads and was blamed for dozens of deaths nationwide.

This story was reported by The Associated Press.聽