Japan holds rare winter elections, PM Sanae Takaichi expected to win: What we know so far

Japan voted on Sunday in an election expected to hand Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi a resounding win. Voters will pick lawmakers in 289 single-seat constituencies, with the rest decided by proportional-representation votes for parties.

Polls close at 8 PM (1100 GMT), when broadcasters are expected to issue projections based on their exit polls.

If the coalition of Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party with the Japan Innovation Party, known as Ishin, wins 310 seats, it would be able to override the opposition-controlled upper chamber.

Takaichi vowed to step down if the coalition loses its majority.

Takaichi, 64, became prime minister in October after being selected LDP leader.

She has accelerated military spending to counter China, which she sparked a diplomatic row with, and pushed economic stimulus and tax cuts that have rattled financial markets.

"If Takaichi wins big, she will have more political room to follow through on key commitments, including on consumption tax" cuts, Seiji Inada, managing director at FGS Global, a strategic advisory consultancy was quoted by Reuters as saying.

"Markets could react in the following days, and the yen could come under renewed pressure," Inada added.

Takaichi also promised to suspend the 8 percent sales tax on food for two years to help households cope with rising prices, partly driven by the yen's sharp fall.

A recent opinion poll found voters under 30 favouring her by more than 90%. That young cohort, however, is less likely to vote than the older generations that have long been the bedrock of LDP support.

On Thursday, Takaichi received the endorsement of US President Donald Trump, a signal that may appeal to right-leaning voters but could also put off some moderates.

It is only the third postwar election held in February, with elections typically called during milder months.

In Nagaoka in the rural northern prefecture of Niigata, where snow was piled more than 1 metre (3 feet) high along the roadsides on Saturday, campaigners urged people to vote early to avoid expected snow storms.

"It's bad enough here in the towns, but in the mountains there's twice as much snow. It's hard just to leave the house," said Takehiko Igarashi, a volunteer for the Japanese Communist Party, which he said was calling up supporters and offering to drive them to polling stations.

Turnout in recent lower house elections has hovered around the mid-50% range. Any slump on Sunday could amplify the influence of organised voting blocs.

One of those is Komeito, which last year quit its coalition with the LDP and merged into a centrist group with the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

Komeito has close ties to the lay-Buddhist Soka Gakkai group, which claims at least 8 million members nationwide.