It’s officially election season in Japan. Candidates are about to begin their campaigns to win a seat in the Lower House. Voters will cast ballots in February to choose their next government. Filing for candidacy will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday. It’s the first general election for Takaichi Sanae as prime minister, who has held office since October. It’s also the first Lower House election since late 2024. All 465 seats in the Lower House are up for grabs. 289 of them will be from single-seat constituencies. The remaining 176 will be elected through a system of proportional representation. Two-hundred-thirty-three seats are needed for a majority.
Two giant pandas at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoological Gardens will depart for China on Tuesday. Their departure will leave Japan with no giant pandas for the first time since two arrived in 1972 to commemorate the normalization of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The Israeli military said the body of the last hostage in Gaza has been brought home. This milestone brings an end to the hostage crisis for the country, which started with the October 7th attacks more than two years ago.