Japan’s ruling LDP gains ground in pre-election poll
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has expanded its lead from last week in a Kyodo News poll on the proportional representation race ahead of the Feb. 8 election, the survey showed on Sunday.
Support for the party, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, rose to 36.1 percent, an increase of 6.9 percentage points, News.Az reports, citing Kyodo.
The Centrist Reform Alliance, a newly formed major opposition force, ranked second with 13.9 percent support, up 2.0 points. At the single-constituency level, the two-day survey conducted from Saturday found that 44.0 percent of respondents would vote for candidates backed by the ruling camp in the House of Representatives election, while 26.5 percent said they would support opposition candidates.
Those who expect the ruling bloc to win more seats than the opposition stood at 42.4 percent. The snap election was called in January as Takaichi seeks to expand her months-old coalition government’s razor-thin majority in the powerful lower house.
Despite the LDP’s gains, the election outlook remains uncertain. The poll showed that 27.2 percent of respondents have yet to decide whom to vote for in constituency races, while 21.3 percent remain undecided about their choice on the proportional representation list.
Approval for Takaichi’s Cabinet stood at 63.6 percent, up 0.5 point from the previous survey in late January. The disapproval rate was largely unchanged at 25.6 percent, up 0.6 point.
Expectations for the Centrist Reform Alliance were low, with 71.0 percent saying they do not expect much from the new party, up 4.0 points. The alliance was formed by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, the LDP’s former coalition partner. The party faces pressure to unite voters from its founding groups, with co-leader Yoshihiko Noda telling reporters on Sunday that he would bear a “heavy responsibility” if the alliance fails to retain the seats its members are defending.
In Japan’s lower house election, voters cast two ballots—one for a local constituency candidate and another for a political party on the proportional representation list.
The Democratic Party for the People, a right-leaning minor opposition party once seen as a potential LDP coalition partner, ranked third in proportional support at 5.7 percent, down from 8.4 percent, signaling possible difficulty in sustaining momentum from recent elections.
The populist Sanseito, which surged in the summer 2025 House of Councillors election with its “Japanese First” platform, placed fourth at 5.6 percent. The LDP’s junior coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, came fifth with 5.4 percent, falling behind Sanseito.
Team Mirai, a new group advocating technological reforms to Japan’s political system, ranked sixth at 4.4 percent and is seeking to win its first seat in the lower house.
The most important issue for voters remains easing cost-of-living pressures, cited by 53.6 percent of respondents, with multiple answers allowed, as households continue to face inflation that outpaces wage growth. Social security issues, including pensions, were cited by 28.6 percent, while 19.5 percent pointed to diplomacy and national security.
Reflecting strong public interest in economic relief, major parties, including the LDP and the Centrist Reform Alliance, have proposed cuts to the consumption tax on food. Voters were divided on the approach, with 24.2 percent saying the tax should not be reduced, 21.8 percent favoring a temporary reduction on food, and 23.8 percent supporting its complete abolition.
The poll contacted 487 randomly selected households with eligible voters and 2,922 mobile phone numbers, receiving responses from 425 household members and 623 mobile phone users.
By Nijat Babayev
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