Sanae Takaichi, Japan's first female prime minister, rode on a wave of popularity and a rightward swing among voters to achieve a historic victory in parliamentary elections, the NYT reports.
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Last summer, Japan's long-dominant political force, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was in crisis amid scandals and a series of electoral defeats. devastating, which forced the then prime minister of Japan to resign.
Then, just as political obituaries were being prepared, the Liberal Democrats found a lifesaver: Sanae Takaichi, a veteran conservative lawmaker who in October became Japan's first woman elected prime minister.
Takaichi, 64, gave a blunt and forceful speech — in places with Trumpian accents — about immigration, taxes and the high cost of living. But he also has a special knack for speaking to young people in their own language: quoting lines from manga magazines, praising the Hanshin Tigers baseball team and the hard rock band B'z, but also talking openly about the stress of choosing the right outfits when he took on his role on the world stage.
On Sunday, just 110 days into his term, Takaichi achieved what seemed impossible only a few months ago: the largest electoral victory in the PLD's 71-year history. In early elections called by the prime minister himself, the party obtained 316 seats and for the first time a supermajority in the House of Representatives, made up of 465 members.
With these results, Takaichi can now claim a resounding mandate domestically for his hard-line policies, which include a crackdown on immigration and firmer opposition to China's growing military and economic influence.
His party's victory reflects public confidence in his administration's proposals to strengthen national security and revive the economy, Japan's prime minister said.
“Yesterday, the public strongly encouraged me to see this policy change through at all costs.” she said at a news conference in Tokyo. “I'm really grateful.”
The office of Japan's prime minister can sometimes seem like a revolving door, but Takaichi seems determined to become an enduring and transformative figure in the mold of his mentor, Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister. He was assassinated in 2022, after leaving office.
“She's really the driver,” said Sheila A. Smith, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. “She can set the legislative agenda and decide what gets proposed and what doesn't.”
But while Takaichi managed to save her party in the election, she has yet to address its deeper challenges, including lingering distrust among voters over scandals over party funding and concerns about the authority of Japan's older generation.
Takaichi's approval ratings were consistently above 60%, roughly double that of the Liberal Democratic Party.
“This is a victory for Takaichi,” Smith explained. “But it's not necessarily a victory for the PLD.”
Sanae Takaichi's saving grace
Takaichi took office last fall as the Liberal Democrats, who have ruled Japan almost continuously since 1955, were facing stinging electoral losses. The party had just lost its majority in the House of Councillors, ending up in the unusual position of being in the minority in both houses of Parliament, known as the Diet.
In this context, she quickly stepped in to rehabilitate the party's image, promising action on two issues of concern to the population: the rising cost of living and immigration. His administration last year eliminated a gas tax and signaled it might suspend the food tax.
More specifically, Takaichi responded to a wave of anti-foreigner sentiment by promising to make the process of obtaining citizenship more difficult for foreigners.
Under his leadership, the government developed proposals to encourage people seeking residency to enroll in Japanese language courses. His administration also wants to force real estate buyers to disclose their nationalities. And the government has promised to take more aggressive measures to disperse tourists and avoid overcrowding in the most popular areas.
Her message resonated with young people, who were drawn to her nationalist calls for a Japan “strong and prosperous”, as well as her colorful social media posts.
In fact, she has proven to be a master at creating viral moments. Last month, for example, he invited the president of South Korea to a K-pop drumming session. Incidentally, Takaichi is an amateur drummer.
She gained public attention through her posts on X. In January, for example, she wrote a 1,231-character post about the busyness of the holiday season, describing how she unpacked boxes in her new residence; that he had a conversation with President Trump; how he addressed issues related to North Korea and Venezuela; and how she cooked for her husband. The post has been viewed more than 26 million times.
But the difficult part is just coming. In Parliament, Takaichi must work to win support in the House of Councilors, the upper house where the Liberal Democrats are still a minority – especially if he decides to press ahead with proposals to revise Japan's constitution to remove restrictions on the military.
She also faces pressure from abroad. The Trump administration has pressured Japan to accelerate its military spending and allocate $550 billion to invest in American projects.
On the other hand, China launched a campaign to punish Japan in response to a comment made by Takaichi regarding Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that Beijing claims is part of its territory. Takaichi told parliament in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
The Chinese government has shown no signs of backing down. Asked about the election victory of the premier's party, Lin Jian, a spokesman for China's foreign ministry, said Japan should “follow the path of peaceful development instead of repeating the mistakes of the past.” He urged her to retract her comment about Taiwan.
In the short term, Takaichi seems focused on capitalizing on the new momentum gained by the Liberal Democrats. She noted on Monday that the party has won the trust of the people.
“Therefore, the party will unite, grit its teeth and fulfill its promises to the public”she said. “I will lead the way and bring this to an end.”
