Prime minister Sanae Takaichi acknowledges her decision to call early poll could prove challenging for voters in snowbound regions

Frozen extremities are one of several obstacles facing voters in Japan as they prepare to cast their ballots at next month’s snap general election.

The vote, called by the prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, less than four months after taking office, will be held in the middle of a winter that has seen record snowfall in parts of the country, prompting concern about a low turnout.