2026 POLLS: Party Leaders Stump in Key Constituencies

Tokyo, Feb. 5 (Jiji Press)–Japanese political party leaders are visiting key constituencies in the campaigning for Sunday’s election for the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, the country’s parliament. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gave a street speech in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, on Wednesday, seeking to firm up support for her ruling Liberal Democratic Party in the prefecture’s No. 4 constituency, which the party sees as a fierce battlefield between it and the Centrist Reform Alliance, a newly established party, in the election. She also visited the No. 3 and No. 6 constituencies in Kyoto Prefecture, which the LDP regards as crucial areas for the election. On Monday, Takaichi and other LDP executives met and narrowed down the party’s key constituencies to about 70. While some anticipate a landslide victory for the LDP, a person related to the party said, “That’s not how I feel.” The Japan Innovation Party, the LDP’s current coalition partner, is prioritizing victory in all 19 constituencies in its home prefecture of Osaka, after taking them all in the previous Lower House election in 2024. JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura toured the prefecture on Wednesday. The JIP is facing off against the LDP in some constituencies. JIP co-leader Fumitake Fujita, speaking in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, warned against giving too much seats to the LDP alone. The Centrist Reform Alliance, which was formed only last month by the major opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, the LDP’s previous coalition partner, is concerned that the new party is lagging in the race. “There are few constituencies that we are confident to win,” a person related to the Centrist Reform Alliance said. Pinning down the party’s key constituencies to some 80, co-leaders Yoshihiko Noda and Tetsuo Saito are campaigning actively. The new party is trying to utilize the power of organizations of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, or Rengo, a key supporter of the CDP, and lay Buddhist group Soka Gakkai, the main support group for Komeito. “If we can’t deliver some results in the election, ties with the CDP will be vulnerable,” a person related to Komeito said. Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the opposition Democratic Party for the People, which has made advances in elections in the past few years, told reporters in Saitama, a city near Tokyo, on Wednesday that he aims to make his party the biggest opposition force. The Japanese Communist Party and Reiwa Shinsengumi are focusing on increasing the number of votes they get in proportional representation blocs. The JCP aims to grow its support in major cities, while Reiwa Shinsengumi hopes to win votes from those who are negative about the Takaichi administration. Sanseito, which is actively fielding candidates, has sent senior officials on the stump, aiming to repeat its breakthrough performance in last year’s election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]