Speculation grows over Jan. dissolution of Japan's lower house

TOKYO - Speculation has emerged within the Japanese government that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi may dissolve the House of Representatives at the outset of the ordinary parliamentary session scheduled to begin on Jan. 23, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday.

Ruling Liberal Democratic Party policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi, at a meeting in Shimabara, Nagasaki Prefecture, stressed that "it is a constant battlefield. It is fundamental to constantly hone ourselves so we are prepared whenever an election may come."