The Japanese leader's election gambit, fueled by the power of her personality and some unlikely help from young voters consumed by “Sanamania,” appears to have paid off.

The Japanese leader’s election gambit, fueled by the power of her personality and some unlikely help from young voters consumed by “Sanamania,” appears to have paid off.

Japan’s conservative prime minister Sanae Takaichi has won a landslide victory after she gambled on a high-stakes snap election.

Takaichi, who took office in October after being elected leader of the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), surpassed the 310 seats needed for a supermajority in the 465-seat lower house, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported from the official election count on Sunday evening. The supermajority allows her ruling coalition to override the upper house, where it lacks a majority.

An NHK exit poll as voting ended earlier on Sunday projected the LDP would win between 274 and 326 seats. The party and its coalition partner Ishin were projected to win a combined 302-366 seats, as voters turned out amid freezing temperatures in a rare winter election.

    • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
      61·
      9 hours ago

      Yes, it is. America really biffed it, and the nuking a couple cities thing wasn’t great either.

      Now, that’s not to say Japanese democracy is fake. The elections are real, and AFAIK the parties have gradually taken on real ideological differences. It does help explain why they’re broadly racist, still not sorry about WWII and have a lot of regional vote buying with projects, though.

      Edit: Not great women’s rights either, ironically.

      • ilinamoratoEnglish
        41·
        9 hours ago

        America really biffed it,

        Pretty decent summary of American history, that. With few exceptions.