Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi basked in a landslide election victory on Monday, with her ruling party projected to have secured a two-thirds majority in the powerful lower house for the first time in its history.
If confirmed by official results, the outcome gives Japan’s first female prime minister a strong mandate to pursue her conservative agenda and shape the country of 123 million people over the next four years.
The Asia-Pacific region will be watching closely, however, to see whether the 64-year-old leader hardens or softens her stance towards China after angering Beijing in November with comments on Taiwan.
Financial markets may also be cautious over Japan’s public finances and massive debt burden if Takaichi moves to cut taxes and increase spending in Asia’s second-largest economy.
“We have consistently emphasised the importance of responsible and proactive fiscal policy,” Takaichi said late on Sunday.
“We will prioritise fiscal sustainability. We will ensure necessary investment. Both the public and private sectors must invest. We will build a strong and resilient economy,” she added.
On Monday, the Nikkei index jumped about five per cent to a new high, with equities “poised to benefit from higher fiscal spending while interest rates remain accommodative and negative in real terms”, said Kyle Rodda, an analyst at Capital.com.
With a strengthened mandate, Takaichi is expected to press ahead with her ambitious policy agenda, which includes increasing defence spending, tightening immigration rules and potentially revising Japan’s constitution.
Capitalising on her post-election momentum after becoming Japan’s fifth prime minister in as many years in October, Takaichi called a snap election last month.
The gamble paid off decisively, with local media reporting that her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won around 316 of the 465 seats, based on partial results — surpassing the 310-seat threshold required for a two-thirds majority.
Together with its junior coalition partner, the LDP is expected to secure 352 seats.
US President Donald Trump, who had earlier endorsed Takaichi, congratulated her on the result.
“I wish you great success in passing your conservative Peace Through Strength agenda,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
From drummer to prime minister
Takaichi has revitalised the LDP, which has governed Japan almost continuously for decades but had lost support in recent elections amid public frustration over rising prices and corruption.
A heavy metal drummer in her youth, Takaichi admired Britain’s “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher and was once considered part of the party’s ultra-conservative fringe when she became leader.
She has proven popular with voters—particularly younger ones—with supporters embracing everything from her fashion choices to a viral moment in which she joined South Korea’s president in a K-pop performance.
However, analysts warn she must deliver economically to maintain her appeal.
“With prices rising like this, what matters most to me is what policies they adopt to deal with inflation,” voter Chika Sakamoto, 50, told AFP at a polling station in snowy Tokyo on Sunday.
Social conservatism and China tensions
Despite being Japan’s first woman prime minister, Takaichi has shown little inclination to frame her leadership around gender in the country’s male-dominated political landscape.
She is socially conservative and opposes revising a law requiring married couples to share the same surname — a rule that overwhelmingly results in women taking their husband’s name.
Before becoming prime minister, Takaichi was regarded as a China hawk. She frequently visited the Yasukuni Shrine, which honours Japan’s war dead — including convicted war criminals — and is viewed by critics as a symbol of the country’s militarist past.
Less than two weeks into office, she suggested Japan could intervene militarily if Beijing attempted to seize self-governed Taiwan by force.
China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory and has not ruled out using force, reacted angrily. It summoned Japan’s ambassador, warned citizens against travelling to Japan and conducted joint air drills with Russia. Japan’s last two pandas were returned to China last month.
Margarita Estevez-Abe, associate professor of political science at Syracuse University, said Takaichi now has room to de-escalate.
“Now she does not have to worry about elections until 2028, when the next upper house polls take place,” she told AFP before the vote.
“The best scenario for Japan is that Takaichi takes a deep breath and focuses on repairing relations with China.”
