What’s the long history behind Japan’s snap election? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 23, 2026 · 4 MIN

What’s the long history behind Japan’s snap election?

from History Behind the Headlines: Briefing · host History Extra

Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has unexpectedly called a general election despite riding high in the polls – and only being in office since October. In this episode of HistoryExtra’s series History Behind the Headlines: Briefing, Chris Harding from the University of Edinburgh explores why the roots of the present troubles date back to the postwar world order. -----   GO BEYOND THE PODCAST For further historical analysis of the latest breaking news, don't miss HistoryExtra's History Behind the Headlines: ⁠https://play.megaphone.fm/vv4s-xn6tfmntfojkacmna⁠   And if you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not become a member of HistoryExtra for access to thousands of ad-free podcasts, hundreds of hours of video and a huge archive of articles from leading historians: ⁠https://www.historyextra.com/subscribe/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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