Heavy snowfall blanketed many parts of the country on election day, including Tokyo and other regions that rarely see winter snow. "I struggled to find a way to the ballot box as snow was accumulating around it, and it was a pain to arrive here with bad road conditions," a man in his 70s in Aomori in northern Japan told public broadcaster NHK. It is the first time in decades that Japan holds a general election in snowy February. Margarita Estevez-Abe, associate professor of political science at Syracuse University, said that the China episode raised Takaichi's popularity even more. "So the best scenario for Japan is that Takaichi kind of takes a deep breath and focuses on amending the relationship with China."

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha February 08, 2026 09:05 UTC