Japanese PM Faces Backlash Over Election Timing During Exam Season

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is drawing criticism for scheduling Sunday’s general election amid peak university entrance exam season, adding stress to students already under pressure.

Her sudden January decision to dissolve the House of Representatives has also sparked questions, as it marks the first February lower house election since 1990 when heavy snowfall hits some regions.

Takaichi has encouraged early voting for students, but Toshiko Takeya, Komeito party leader and former coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, called the move “extremely unreasonable,” citing the heavy burden on examinees.

Japan grants voting rights to those turning 18 the day after polling, so many 17-year-old high school seniors prepping for exams can participate.

Social media buzzes with complaints, like one user pleading, “Please don’t add unnecessary burdens on students facing entrance exams.”Teen voter turnout in the 2024 lower house election was just 39.43%, lagging the national 53.85%, per internal affairs ministry data. This election overlaps with some exam schedules, potentially hurting youth participation—despite polls showing Takaichi’s popularity with younger voters.

Opposition co-leader Yoshihiko Noda of the new Centrist Reform Alliance fumed that the timing robs young people of a chance to vote “for their own future.”Campaign events near test sites prompted universities to consult the education ministry; the government has urged parties to keep noise down around schools.

Takaichi defends the snap election as essential to secure a public mandate for her “responsible yet aggressive” fiscal policies before Diet debates. After dissolving the lower house on January 23—the opening of the ordinary session—she acknowledged, “I understand this places a burden on examinees, but it is an important election that will decide Japan’s future.”