Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has dissolved parliament in advance of a snap election scheduled for February 8.

The speaker of Japan’s parliament on Friday read out a letter, officially dissolving the lower house as lawmakers shouted the traditional rallying cry of “banzai”.

Takaichi, the country’s first woman premier, had announced her intentions on Monday to call an election, and is hoping to capitalise on her personal popularity to help the governing party regain ground after major losses of public support in recent years.

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