Japanese Prime Minister dissolves parliament and calls elections

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaičiová announced that she will dissolve parliament on Friday and call early elections. This move is intended to strengthen her political position and secure support for planned spending increases and a new security strategy to accelerate the country's defense reforms.

All 465 seats in the lower house of parliament will be up for grabs. This will also be Takaichi's first electoral test since she became Japan's first female prime minister in October.

The politician is trying to take advantage of favorable preferences and strengthen her coalition's fragile majority at a time when the country is struggling with rising living costs.

According to a recent NHK survey, prices are the main problem for 45 percent of Japanese, while 16 percent cited diplomacy and national security as key issues.

(reuters, pir)