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Jan. 23 (UPI) — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi formally dissolved the House of Representatives on Friday, triggering a snap general election scheduled for Feb. 8 in a move aimed at securing a public mandate for her administration’s policy agenda just months after she took office.

The dissolution of the lower house came at the opening of the regular Diet session, a step not seen at the start of a session in roughly 60 years, according to news agency Kyodo.

In an official statement released by the Cabinet Secretariat, Takaichi argued that major policy shifts — including her administration’s economic measures to counter persistent inflation, structural fiscal reforms and national security initiatives — require direct public endorsement.

“Now that we have implemented immediate measures, we need to step up our efforts to realize a major policy shift,” Takaichi said in the statement. “If we do not begin implementing bold policies and reforms now, it will be too late.”

Following the Cabinet decision, the House speaker read the imperial dissolution proclamation at a plenary session, formally disbanding the 465-seat lower chamber. Official campaigning is expected to begin Jan. 27, setting one of the shortest election timetables in postwar Japanese history.

Takaichi is Japan’s first female prime minister. She took office late last year after winning a leadership contest within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party following the resignation of former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, whose public approval had fallen sharply.

Since assuming office, Takaichi has sought to consolidate her authority within the party and its governing coalition, projecting a more assertive leadership style while pushing to advance her economic and security agenda.

The hardline conservative leader has maintained high approval ratings of around 70% amid a rightward shift in Japan, although the LDP’s support lags significantly below that of her personal numbers.

Opposition parties criticized the timing of the dissolution, accusing Takaichi of placing political strategy ahead of parliamentary deliberations on the fiscal 2026 budget. They argue the accelerated schedule leaves voters little time to assess competing policy proposals.

The ruling coalition, comprising Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party, holds only a razor-thin majority in the lower house and remains a minority in the upper chamber, forcing it to rely on opposition cooperation to pass legislation.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that inflation and cost-of-living pressures are expected to dominate campaign debates. Political funding scandals that have dogged the LDP in recent years are also likely to feature prominently, alongside debates over foreign residents, tourism policy and Japan’s security posture amid heightened tensions with China.

The previous lower house election was held in October 2024.