Japan's first female premier bets on a mandate in a high-stakes snap election

Japan heads to a snap election with Sanae Takaichi, the first female premier, riding high in popularity as she seeks a decisive LDP mandate amid cost‑of‑living pressures, a weak yen and tense China relations. The outcome will test whether her celebrity-led appeal can translate into a durable majority in a fractured opposition landscape and how quickly the economy’s challenges will bite once a government is formed.