Kishida Hints At Snap Lower House Elections

Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has told reporters that a snap lower house election next year is "possible" as the government seeks a bolstered mandate to carry out tax hikes to cover an expansion of defense spending.

• Kyodo reported yesterday: "This is the first time that Kishida has mentioned the timing of the next Lower House election. The term of current Lower House lawmakers is set to expire in Oct. 2025."
• Kyodo: "Koichi Hagiuda, policy chief of Kishida’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has said that a Lower House election should take place once the government decides when to raise taxes."
• Kishida's low approval rating and crises within the cabinet continue to weight heavily on Kishida with Morning Consult reporting that Kishida's approval has slumped to 22% from close to 50% during the summer.
• Reconstruction Minister Kenya Akiba yesterday became the fourth member of Kishida's cabinet to depart since August.