Japan election: Sanae Takaichi’s ruling conservatives on course for landslide win

Exit polls point to public endorsement of new prime minister on day of blizzards and freezing conditions

Japan's conservative governing party is on course to dramatically strengthen its grip on power after exit polls predicted a landslide victory in Sunday's elections, in what will be seen as an early public endorsement of the new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi.

The Liberal Democratic party (LDP) was projected to win between 274 and 328 seats out of a total of 465, according to an exit poll by the public broadcaster NHK, well above the 233 it needed to regain the majority it lost in 2024. NHK projected a supermajority for the LDP and its junior coalition partner, the Japan Innovation party, which will ease Takaichi's legislative agenda.