[Breaking News]Campaigning for general election in Japan

TOKYO, Japan, Jan. 28 Kyodo - Japanese Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party head Sanae Takaichi makes a stump speech in Tokyo's Akihabara area on Jan. 27, 2026, as official campaigning begins across Japan for the House of Representatives election on Feb. 8. (Kyodo)

Campaigning for general election in Japan

Campaigning for general election in Japan

Japanese Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party head Sanae Takaichi makes a stump speech in Tokyo's Akihabara area on Jan. 27, 2026, as official campaigning begins across Japan for the House of Representatives election on Feb. 8.

Campaigning for general election in Japan

Campaigning for general election in Japan

Japanese Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party head Sanae Takaichi makes a stump speech in Tokyo's Akihabara area on Jan. 27, 2026, as official campaigning begins across Japan for the House of Representatives election on Feb. 8.

Campaigning for general election in Japan

Campaigning for general election in Japan

Japanese Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party head Sanae Takaichi makes a stump speech in Tokyo's Akihabara area on Jan. 27, 2026, as official campaigning begins across Japan for the House of Representatives election on Feb. 8.

Campaigning for general election in Japan

Campaigning for general election in Japan

Japanese Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party head Sanae Takaichi makes a stump speech in Tokyo's Akihabara area on Jan. 27, 2026, as official campaigning begins across Japan for the House of Representatives election on Feb. 8.

Campaigning for general election in Japan

Campaigning for general election in Japan

Japanese Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party head Sanae Takaichi makes a stump speech in Tokyo's Akihabara area on Jan. 27, 2026, as official campaigning begins across Japan for the House of Representatives election on Feb. 8.

Protest against Japan PM Takaichi

Protest against Japan PM Takaichi

A protester holds up a placard reading "This dissolution is meaningless" at the venue of a stump speech by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in Tokyo's Akihabara area on Jan. 27, 2026. Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives on Jan. 23 for a snap general election on Feb. 8.

Protest against Japan PM Takaichi

Protest against Japan PM Takaichi

A protester holds up a placard reading "We must not lose to a prime minister like this" at the venue of a stump speech by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in Tokyo's Akihabara area on Jan. 27, 2026. Official campaigning began across Japan the same day for the House of Representatives election on Feb. 8.

General election in Japan

General election in Japan

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows a crowd gathering in front of JR Akihabara Station in Tokyo on Jan. 27, 2026, as official campaigning begins across Japan for the House of Representatives election on Feb. 8.

Campaigning for general election in Japan

Campaigning for general election in Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party makes a stump speech, alongside Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura, in Tokyo's Akihabara area on Jan. 27, 2026. Official campaigning begins the same day across Japan for the House of Representatives election on Feb. 8.

Campaigning for general election in Japan

Campaigning for general election in Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura make a stump speech in Tokyo's Akihabara area on Jan. 27, 2026, as official campaigning begins across Japan for the House of Representatives election on Feb. 8.

Campaigning for general election in Japan

Campaigning for general election in Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura make a stump speech in Tokyo's Akihabara area on Jan. 27, 2026, as official campaigning begins across Japan for the House of Representatives election on Feb. 8.

Athletics: World championships in Tokyo

Athletics: World championships in Tokyo

Athletes run through the Akihabara district during the men's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sept. 15, 2025.

Athletics: World championships in Tokyo

Athletics: World championships in Tokyo

Athletes run through the Akihabara district during the men's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sept. 15, 2025.

Athletics: World championships in Tokyo

Athletics: World championships in Tokyo

Athletes run through the Akihabara district during the men's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sept. 15, 2025.

Athletics: World championships in Tokyo

Athletics: World championships in Tokyo

Kana Kobayashi of Japan runs through the Akihabara district during the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sept. 14, 2025.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs Akihabara Office Building Sign

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs Akihabara Office Building Sign

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs Akihabara Office Building Sign=September 8,2025,Tokyo

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs Akihabara Office Building Sign

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs Akihabara Office Building Sign

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs Akihabara Office Building Sign=September 8,2025,Tokyo

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs Akihabara Office Building Sign

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs Akihabara Office Building Sign

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs Akihabara Office Building Sign=September 8,2025,Tokyo

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs Akihabara Office Building Sign

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs Akihabara Office Building Sign

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs Akihabara Office Building Sign=September 8,2025,Tokyo

Japanese baseball legend Nagashima dies at 89

Japanese baseball legend Nagashima dies at 89

Photo taken on June 3, 2025, in Tokyo's Akihabara district shows a digital news board reporting that Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima died aged 89 earlier in the day.

Japanese baseball legend Nagashima dies at 89

Japanese baseball legend Nagashima dies at 89

Photo taken on June 3, 2025, in Tokyo's Akihabara district shows a street monitor reporting news that Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima died aged 89 earlier in the day.

Japanese baseball legend Nagashima dies at 89

Japanese baseball legend Nagashima dies at 89

Photo taken on June 3, 2025, in Tokyo's Akihabara district shows a street monitor reporting news that Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima died aged 89 earlier in the day.

Trump reciprocal tariff plan

Trump reciprocal tariff plan

A street monitor in Tokyo's Akihabara area shows on April 3, 2025, news that U.S. President Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on all countries overnight, including one of 24 percent on Japanese imports.

Japan TV host Nakai retires

Japan TV host Nakai retires

A digital monitor in Tokyo's Akihabara area shows the news on Jan. 23, 2025, that Masahiro Nakai, a popular TV host who was a member of the former pop group SMAP and is embroiled in a sexual misconduct scandal, has announced his retirement from show business.

Japan TV host Nakai retires

Japan TV host Nakai retires

A digital monitor in Tokyo's Akihabara area shows the news on Jan. 23, 2025, that Masahiro Nakai, a popular TV host who was a member of the former pop group SMAP and is embroiled in a sexual misconduct scandal, has announced his retirement from show business.

Japan TV host Nakai retires

Japan TV host Nakai retires

A digital monitor in Tokyo's Akihabara area shows the news on Jan. 23, 2025, that Masahiro Nakai, a popular TV host who was a member of the former pop group SMAP and is embroiled in a sexual misconduct scandal, has announced his retirement from show business.

Baseball: Ohtani wins NL MVP

Baseball: Ohtani wins NL MVP

A large screen in Tokyo's Akihabara area shows on Nov. 22, 2024, a news report on Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani winning Major League Baseball's National League MVP award.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

Bailian ZX in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MAY 27, 2024 - Visitors visit Bailian ZX, China's first large-scale Two-dimensional cultural mall, in Shanghai, China, May 24, 2024. In China, Balian ZX is equivalent to Japan's Akihabara, and has become the most famous entertainment and literary travel consumption mecca in the Yangtze River Delta region.

15th anniversary of Akihabara stabbing rampage

15th anniversary of Akihabara stabbing rampage

A man prays on June 8, 2023, near the site of a stabbing rampage in Tokyo's Akihabara district that left seven people dead and 10 others injured 15 years earlier on the same day.

15th anniversary of Akihabara stabbing rampage

15th anniversary of Akihabara stabbing rampage

A man prays on June 8, 2023, near the site of a stabbing rampage in Tokyo's Akihabara district that left seven people dead and 10 others injured 15 years earlier on the same day.