General Election, 8 February 2026

In late January 2026, Japan was hit by heavy snowfall and cold temperatures, resulting in nearly 300 recorded injuries and the deaths of 30 people between 20 January and 3 February. Most of these were due to snow-related accidents, including while people were trying to remove snow from around their homes. While Japan is accustomed to heavy snowfall, this winter’s conditions were particularly severe. In the city of Aomori, accumulated snowfall reached the highest level recorded since 1986, and snow depth of more than double the seasonal average at about 175 cm. Several other cities reported snow accumulation of at least 135 cm, causing homes to be buried in snow and disrupting transport due to slippery roads and snowy conditions (Al Jazeera 2026; Mishra 2026).

Impact on electoral process

The severe conditions complicated election preparations and political campaigning in snowbound regions ahead of the snap general election scheduled for 8 February 2026. In some places, election billboards were buried in snow, and in one town in the Aomori prefecture in Japan’s far north, authorities were forced to cut the number of billboards erected ahead of the vote to just 97, compared with 621 ahead of last year’s upper house elections (McCurry 2026; Mishra 2026). Some voters expressed concerns over limited chances to hear candidates’ views on political issues due to fewer street speeches and campaign vehicles, leading them to question the decision to hold a vote mid-winter (Mainichi Japan 2026).

On election day, central Tokyo recorded around 5 cm of snow, while nearby areas saw up to 9 cm of snow. Officials warned of raised risk of traffic accidents and transit delays across the greater Tokyo metropolitan area due to icy roads (Speed 2026). Some voters struggled to reach polling stations, especially those who are elderly, wheelchair-bound, or have other mobility challenges, causing concerns and criticism of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi over the timing of the midwinter poll (Mainichi Japan 2026). Local municipalities similarly complained that they were struggling to make arrangements to accommodate voters, forcing employees to work overtime (McCurry 2026). 

Although analysts warned that the severe weather could depress voter turnout (Mishra 2026), the final turnout was at 56.26%, which is higher than the figure for the previous lower house election in 2024 at 53.85% (The Japan News 2026b). This includes early voting, which set a new record at 27 million ballots cast during the 11-day early voting period, representing 26.10% if all eligible voters (The Japan News 2026a).

Author: Siri Björgengen