Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is increasingly certain to call a snap election, perhaps within weeks, as domestic support surges after a Group of Seven summit that drew a surprise visit by Ukraine's president.
While an election for parliament's more powerful Lower House is not due until 2025, Kishida is keen to beef up his strength in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) ahead of a leadership race next fall, to ensure his re-election and retain the premiership.
His party's parliamentary majority virtually guarantees its president will be prime minister.