Tokyo

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his congratulatory message following her coalition’s emphatic victory in the elections to Japan’s lower house, the House of Representatives. She also reiterated Japan’s commitment to deepening cooperation with India to promote a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP).

In a post on X, Takaichi expressed appreciation for Modi’s message and said she looked forward to continuing close engagement with India. The Prime Minister, who led the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)-headed coalition to a two-thirds majority in the lower house, emphasised the importance of advancing bilateral ties under the Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

この度は、衆議院議員選挙に際し、心温まる祝辞をいただき、ありがとうございます。
モディ首相@narendramodi と共に、「日印特別戦略的グローバル・パートナーシップ」を強化し、「自由で開かれたインド太平洋（FOIP）」の実現に向け、引き続き協力できることを楽しみにしています。

Thank you very… https://t.co/Bu2NSohSaP

— 高市早苗 (@takaichi_sanae) February 9, 2026

“Thank you very much, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for your warm congratulations on the House of Representatives election. I look forward to continuing to work together with you to strengthen the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between Japan and India and to cooperate in realising a Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” Takaichi wrote, also conveying her thanks in Hindi.

According to Kyodo News, the LDP secured 310 seats in the 465-member House of Representatives, a mandate that enables it to pass legislation even without approval from the upper house, the House of Councillors, and pursue constitutional revisions. Despite the landslide, the ruling coalition remains short of a majority in the upper chamber. The LDP’s performance marks the first time in postwar Japan that a party has achieved such a commanding margin in the lower house.

Following projections of the coalition’s decisive win in Sunday’s snap elections, Prime Minister Modi extended his congratulations to Takaichi, highlighting the importance of India-Japan relations in promoting global peace, stability, and shared prosperity.

In a post on X, Modi congratulated the Japanese Prime Minister on what he described as a landmark electoral victory and reaffirmed the significance of the Special Strategic and Global Partnership, which outlines eight broad areas of cooperation for the coming decade.

Congratulations Sanae Takaichi on your landmark victory in the elections to the House of Representatives!

Our Special Strategic and Global Partnership plays a vital role in enhancing…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 8, 2026

“Congratulations, Sanae Takaichi, on your landmark victory in the elections to the House of Representatives! Our Special Strategic and Global Partnership plays a vital role in enhancing global peace, stability and prosperity. I am confident that under your able leadership, we will continue to take the India-Japan friendship to greater heights,” Modi said.

India and Japan had identified eight priority directions to guide their partnership over the next ten years during the India-Japan Annual Summit held on August 29, 2025, during Modi’s visit to Japan. The joint vision reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to a free, open, peaceful, prosperous, and rules-based Indo-Pacific.

The election result represents a significant rise from the LDP’s pre-poll strength of 198 seats and has been widely attributed to Takaichi’s personal appeal. Along with coalition partner Japan Innovation Party (JIP), the LDP will now hold a dominant position in the lower house, consolidating Takaichi’s leadership after she assumed office in October as Japan’s first woman prime minister.

Speaking on a television programme after the results, Takaichi said the government carried a heavy responsibility to fulfil the promises made during the campaign, Kyodo News reported.

The polls proved a major setback for the newly formed Centrist Reform Alliance, which saw its representation cut by half from its pre-election tally of 167 seats. Its co-leaders, Yoshihiko Noda and Tetsuo Saito, indicated they may step down following the defeat.

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Among smaller parties, Kyodo News reported that the populist Sanseito, campaigning on a “Japanese First” platform, increased its presence to 13 seats from two, while Team Mirai, which advocates the use of digital technology to expand political participation, entered the lower house for the first time with nine seats.