Analysis of Election-Related X Posts Finds Users Have Highest Interest in ‘Consumption Tax,’ ‘Rising Prices’

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:49 JST, January 29, 2026

Social media interest regarding the policies and pledges for the House of Representatives election is focused on the keywords of “consumption tax” and “rising prices,” according to an analysis of X posts by The Yomiuri Shimbun. Posts related to “foreigners” are also increasing, continuing the trend since last summer’s upper house election.

The analysis examined ten keywords related to party pledges and policies: consumption tax, rising prices, proactive public finances, security, foreigners, number of Diet seats, constitutional revision, second capital, diplomacy and child-rearing.

Using social media analysis tools from U.S.-based company Meltwater, the number of daily posts, including reposts, for each keyword, along with “House of Representatives election,” were tracked between Jan. 21 to 27, when official campaigning for the election kicked off.

Tuesday saw the highest number of posts with “consumption tax,” reaching approximately 34,000 posts. Arguments for and against each party’s pledges were noticeable. Following closely was “high prices” with about 27,000 posts, surging nearly fourfold from the previous day. “Foreigners” also hovered at around 10,000 posts. Meanwhile, “number of Diet seats” and “second capital,” pledged by the ruling parties and others, stayed in the thousands.