Two days before Japan’s snap election, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly declared his full support for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi through a message on Truth Social. Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, took office in October and is hoping for a major victory in Sunday’s vote. Polls suggest her ruling coalition could secure a supermajority in parliament. Trump praised Takaichi as a strong and wise leader who loves her country and confirmed she will visit the United States on March 19.

Trump said the U.S. and Japan are moving toward an important trade agreement and cooperating closely on national security. His endorsement breaks with the usual U.S. presidential practice of avoiding involvement in foreign elections, though Trump has previously supported leaders such as Argentina’s Javier Milei and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. Takaichi earlier welcomed Trump warmly in Japan and supported his Nobel Peace Prize nomination.

Polls indicate Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party has regained strength after past scandals and inflation challenges. Analysts suggest a strong mandate could allow her to advance economic and security reforms if her coalition achieves a two-thirds majority.

Japan is preparing to restart the world’s largest nuclear power plant after a long hiatus. Authorities announced that one reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant will be reactivated next week. At a press conference on Friday, Take-yuki Inagaki, head of the plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), said the reactor is scheduled to start on February 9.

The restart process had been temporarily halted earlier due to an alarm-related fault. Inagaki explained that the issue was linked to alarm settings and did not affect the plant’s operational safety. Last month, an attempt to restart a reactor at the Niigata Prefecture facility was also stopped within hours of initiation.

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant has remained closed since Japan suspended nuclear power generation nationwide following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which caused reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Japan will hold a snap election on Sunday, with opinion polls suggesting a major victory for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The country’s first female prime minister, Takaichi, has seen her popularity rise sharply in recent months, according to an AFP report. The 64-year-old leader, who took office last October as Japan’s fifth prime minister in five years, has gained strong appeal among younger voters and on social media.

Pre-election surveys indicate that the LDP and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), could win more than 300 of the 465 parliamentary seats, securing a two-thirds majority. Meanwhile, the main opposition alliance, formed by the CDP and Komeito under the new Centrist Reform Alliance, may lose about half of its current 167 seats.

Despite her growing domestic support, uncertainty remains over Japan’s relations with China. Takaichi’s past visits to the Yasukuni Shrine and her remarks suggesting possible military intervention if China moves on Taiwan have drawn attention. Economically, her $135 billion stimulus plan has unsettled investors, though experts believe market forces will restrain any risky fiscal moves.

At least 30 people have died in Japan over the past two weeks due to record levels of heavy snowfall, government officials confirmed on Tuesday. Among the victims was a 91-year-old woman found buried under nearly three meters of snow outside her home. The northern Aomori Prefecture has been the hardest hit, prompting the central government to deploy military forces to help manage the situation, as some remote areas remain buried under up to 4.5 meters of snow.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi convened an emergency cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning, directing all ministries to take preventive measures against snow-related accidents and fatalities. Authorities said strong cold airflows along the Sea of Japan coast have caused snowfall more than double the usual levels. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported that snow-related incidents since January 20 have resulted in 30 deaths.

Aomori Governor Soichiro Miyashita said military assistance was requested to support elderly residents living alone with snow removal. He warned that the risk of roof collapses and snow slides remains extremely high as temperatures fluctuate.

A new Asahi newspaper poll indicates that Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, is on track for a major victory in next week’s lower house election. The survey, released on February 2, 2026, shows the LDP could secure well above the 233 seats needed for a majority in the 465-member chamber, up from its current 198 seats. Together with coalition partner Japan Innovation Party (Ishin), the ruling bloc could reach as many as 300 seats, strengthening Takaichi’s mandate.

According to Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities strategist Keisuke Tsuruta, such a result would reinforce Takaichi’s authority and allow her to continue her “proactive” economic policies, including boosting consumption and cutting taxes. The main opposition Centrist Reform Alliance faces a potential loss of half its 167 seats amid a tight race.

Takaichi dissolved parliament last month and called the snap election for February 8 to seek public approval for her expansionary economic agenda. Her earlier decision to suspend the 8% food tax for two years triggered a market slump and raised public concern about Japan’s fiscal discipline.

The Afghan Embassy in Japan officially ceased operations on Saturday, marking the end of its diplomatic activities in Tokyo. Afghan Ambassador Shida Mohammad Abdali confirmed the closure in a statement on social media platform X, noting that it was the embassy’s final working day and expressing sorrow as he departed Tokyo.

Before its closure, the embassy served as the formal diplomatic channel between Afghanistan and Japan, providing consular services such as passports and visas to Afghan nationals residing in Japan. The move follows a broader pattern since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, which has led to the suspension or limitation of Afghan diplomatic missions in several countries and the dismissal of diplomats appointed by the previous government.

Japan has not formally recognized the Taliban-led Afghan government and continues to maintain only limited humanitarian engagement. The embassy’s closure has raised concerns about the availability of diplomatic representation and essential consular services for Afghans living abroad.

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has dissolved the country’s parliament ahead of a snap election scheduled for February 8. On Friday, the Speaker of Japan’s parliament formally announced the dissolution of the lower house through an official letter. Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, made the decision to seek a fresh mandate from voters before the election date.

According to the report, Takaichi had earlier indicated that an early election might be called. Her decision aims to secure public support for the government’s various plans and spending initiatives. The upcoming election will cover all 465 seats in the lower house and will serve as Takaichi’s first major electoral test since taking office.

Takaichi, who assumed office in October, is expected to use her current popularity to strengthen her position within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The election outcome will reveal how the Japanese public views the government’s spending expansion plans.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) suspended the restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Japan’s Niigata Prefecture just hours after operations began late Wednesday. The company confirmed Thursday that the reactor remains stable and poses no radioactive risk. The restart followed final approval from Japan’s nuclear regulator, marking the first TEPCO-operated plant to resume since the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

TEPCO spokesperson Takashi Kobayashi said an alarm in the monitoring system triggered the precautionary shutdown, and the cause is under investigation. Earlier in the week, the restart had already been delayed due to a technical fault that TEPCO claims has since been resolved. Only one of the plant’s seven reactors was being restarted.

Local opposition remains strong, with about 60 percent of Niigata residents reportedly against the restart. Seven civic groups recently submitted a petition with around 40,000 signatures to TEPCO and regulators, citing earthquake risks and past damage to the facility. Japan is seeking to reduce energy imports and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 through renewed use of nuclear power.

Japan is set to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture, the world’s largest facility of its kind, for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced plans to activate one reactor after 7 p.m. on Wednesday, following final approval from the Niigata governor last month. Despite safety upgrades, including a 15-meter tsunami barrier and elevated emergency power systems, local residents remain concerned about potential risks.

Public opinion is sharply divided, with a September survey showing about 60 percent of residents opposing the restart and 37 percent supporting it. Protesters gathered outside the plant this week, citing safety fears and past issues such as information concealment and inadequate evacuation plans. Seven civic groups submitted a petition with 40,000 signatures opposing the restart, noting the site’s location in an active seismic zone.

Japan’s government supports renewed nuclear use to reduce energy imports, meet carbon neutrality goals by 2050, and address rising electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence. The restarted unit will be TEPCO’s first operational reactor since 2011, as the country aims to expand nuclear and renewable energy to supply up to 40 percent of its power by 2040.

A helicopter carrying three people went missing near Mount Aso, one of Japan’s most active volcanoes, on Tuesday morning. Local authorities said the aircraft took off from a zoo in Aso city at 10:52 a.m. local time for a 10-minute sightseeing flight but did not return. Later that afternoon, around 4 p.m., a police helicopter spotted an aircraft-like object inside the crater of Mount Aso’s Nakadake volcano, though it has not yet been confirmed as the missing helicopter.

The missing aircraft, a U.S.-made Robinson R44 operated by Takumi Enterprise, was on its third sightseeing trip of the day, with no issues reported on earlier flights. The 64-year-old pilot was described by local media as highly experienced, with about 40 years of flying experience. The passengers were a Taiwanese man and woman.

Cloudy weather was reported in the Nakadake area on Tuesday. Search operations were suspended in the evening due to conditions and resumed Wednesday morning. Following the incident, Takumi Enterprise temporarily grounded all its helicopters, according to Jiji News Agency.

A Japanese court has sentenced Tetsuya Yamagami to life imprisonment for the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Judge Shinichi Tanaka delivered the verdict on Wednesday, concluding a case that shocked Japan and the world. Yamagami admitted to shooting Abe in broad daylight during a campaign event in the southern city of Nara. Prosecutors had sought a life sentence, calling the killing an unprecedented event in Japan’s postwar history that had a negative impact on society, while the defense requested a maximum of 20 years.

According to the case details, Yamagami’s mother was a follower of the Unification Church and had donated nearly all her assets, leaving the family in financial distress. Yamagami reportedly became angry after learning of Abe’s alleged ties to the controversial church. On July 8, 2022, he used a homemade gun made from pipes and duct tape to shoot Abe twice while the former leader was giving a speech. Abe was taken to a hospital but died shortly afterward.

The court’s ruling brings closure to one of Japan’s most shocking acts of violence in recent decades.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced that she will dissolve parliament on Friday and call a snap general election. The decision, revealed at a press conference on Monday, aims to seek direct voter support for her spending plans and other policies. Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, made the announcement just three months after assuming office. The upcoming vote will contest all 465 seats in the lower house, marking her first major electoral test since taking power.

Political analysts cited in the report suggest that Takaichi’s move is intended to strengthen her control over the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and solidify the coalition government’s fragile majority. The election comes amid growing public concern over rising living costs, which have become a dominant issue across Japan.

A recent NHK survey found that 45 percent of respondents identified price increases as the country’s most pressing problem, followed by diplomacy and national security at 16 percent. The outcome of the election is expected to shape the government’s ability to address these economic and policy challenges.

Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, is set to formally announce the dissolution of parliament on Monday, paving the way for an early election aimed at accelerating her ambitious policy agenda. According to AFP, Takaichi is relying on her current popularity in opinion polls to secure victory for her ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Media reports suggest the election could be held by February 8. The LDP has long dominated Japanese politics but faces declining party support and only a slim majority in the powerful lower house, which has hindered the passage of key fiscal and defense initiatives.

Tokyo University professor Sadafumi Kawato said that if the LDP wins a clear majority, Takaichi could implement her policies without concessions to other parties. Her cabinet has approved a record 122.3 trillion yen budget for the next fiscal year to tackle inflation and boost the economy. Opposition parties, however, warned that dissolving parliament could delay budget approval, with CDP leader Jun Azumi criticizing the move as harmful to citizens’ livelihoods.

Analysts believe the early election could also strengthen Takaichi’s hand in dealing with China, as domestic support may enhance her international bargaining power. However, experts cautioned that Beijing might respond through trade restrictions or other measures if Japan’s stance hardens further.

Two major opposition parties in Japan have decided to contest the upcoming election together to challenge Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling coalition. The decision was made on Thursday with the aim of attracting undecided voters ahead of a possible snap election. Takaichi, who became Japan’s first female prime minister in October, currently leads in opinion polls, and her coalition is expected to strengthen its majority in the powerful lower house of parliament.

Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) leader Yoshihiko Noda announced that his party would form a new alliance with Komeito, a former partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, to jointly contest the election. Noda described the alliance as a centrist alternative to Takaichi’s right-leaning coalition. Media reports suggest the election could take place as early as next month.

Officials from Takaichi’s party and its ally, the Japan Innovation Party, said the prime minister has informed them of her plan to call the vote soon after the parliamentary session begins.

Japan has launched a deep-sea expedition to extract rare minerals in an effort to reduce its dependence on China. On Monday, the scientific drilling vessel Chikyu departed from Shimizu Port in Shizuoka at 9 a.m. local time, heading toward the remote Pacific island of Minami Torishima. The area is believed to contain vast reserves of rare minerals. The mission, led by JAMSTEC, involves experimental drilling at a depth of 6,000 meters, marking a world first, and will continue until February 14.

The initiative comes as China, the world’s largest supplier of rare minerals, exerts pressure on Japan amid heightened political tensions following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to Taiwan in November. Cabinet Office program director Shoichi Ishii stated that Japan aims to diversify supply sources and build domestic production capacity to avoid overreliance on any single country. Researcher Takahiro Kamisuna noted that regular extraction near Minami Torishima could secure a stable domestic supply chain for Japan’s industries.

Reports indicate that China has recently delayed imports of Japanese goods and slowed rare mineral exports, further motivating Japan’s push for resource independence.