Japan votes in test for PM Takaichi as snow weighs on turnout

TOKYO – Japanese voters are casting ballots on Feb 8 in an election expected to hand Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi a resounding win, although record snowfall in parts of the country could keep many voters at home. The conservative coalition of Ms Takaichi, the nation’s first female leader, could win more than 300 of the 465 seats in the Lower House of Parliament, according to multiple opinion polls, a large gain from the 233 it is defending. If the coalition of Ms Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party with the Japan Innovation Party, known as Ishin, wins 310 seats, it would be…