Takaichi has called a snap election just three months into the job, taking a high-risk move. It is all about securing a public mandate for her policy. She inherited a troubled party and a minority government in October after Ishiba Shigeru, who lost both parliamentary elections, was nearly forced to resign. The LDP lost public support with a cost-of-living crisis and several political funding scandals. Despite only narrowly becoming prime minister, her approval ratings during the first three months were surprisingly strong at around 70%. Now, she seeks to leverage her popularity to secure a sole majority for the LDP ... (full story)