Japan’s ultraconservative said they wanted “significant policy change”, a day after early parliamentary elections in which her party won a two-thirds majority in the lower house.
After becoming Japan’s first female prime minister in October, Takaichi announced in late January the dissolution of the lower house, where the ruling coalition held a slim majority.
It appears to have won the bet: the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won some 316 of the 465 seats, according to partial results cited by local media. With its ally the Innovation Party, it is expected to reach 352 seats.
If those estimates are confirmed, the 64-year-old Takaichi will have a strong mandate to implement her program.
“Citizens are positive about a major policy change” – What he said about China
“Citizens have shown understanding and sympathy for our pleas regarding the urgent need for major policy change,” Takaichi said today during a news conference from Tokyo, noting that she is aware of “the very heavy responsibility to make Japan stronger and more prosperous.”
But the Asia-Pacific region is watching developments carefully, as tensions between China and Japan have risen since Takaichi hinted in November that Tokyo could intervene militarily if China attacked Taiwan.
China vowed to give a “decisive response” if “far-right Japanese forces misjudge the situation and act irresponsibly and recklessly,” as Japan adopts a tougher defense policy.
Takaichi declared today that she is open to dialogue with China: “We have already exchanged views. We continue to exchange views. But we conduct them in an organized and appropriate manner”, he warned.
“We resolutely protect the peace and independence of our state, our territory, our territorial waters, our airspace as well as the life and safety of our citizens,” he underlined.
Measures to stimulate the economy and meeting with Trump
Markets may also worry about a potential derailment of Japan’s fiscal and the country’s massive debt levels if Takaichi continues stimulus measures aimed at boosting the world’s fourth-largest economy.
Already at the end of 2025, the Japanese prime minister adopted a €110 billion economic recovery plan and pledged to exempt food from the 8% consumption tax in order to limit the effects of inflation on households.
At the same time, Takaichi described her country’s cooperation possibilities with the US as “limitless” and stated that together with US President Donald Trump, they will reiterate during her visit to Washington the “unbreakable unity” between the two countries.
“Regarding my meeting with President Trump, we will reaffirm the unbreakable unity between Japan and the US and further strengthen cooperation in a wide range of fields, including diplomacy, economy and security. Then we will open a new chapter in the history of the Japanese-American alliance,” he stressed.
What is expected from her prime ministership?
Many voters supported Takaichi “in the hope that the PLD will end economic stagnation,” Tetsuo Kotani, a researcher at the Japan Institute of International Affairs, told AFP, noting at the same time the difficulty of tackling inflation and the risk of “inevitable” tax increases to finance the budget.
In the standoff between Beijing and Tokyo, Takaichi’s refusal to back down on her statements on Taiwan “helped increase her popularity,” Margarita Estevez-Abe, assistant professor of political science at Syracuse University, told AFP.
But since it won’t face another election contest until 2028, “the best case scenario for Japan would be to focus on improving relations with China,” he warned.
Besides, despite being Japan’s first female prime minister, Takaichi did not seem to show much interest in feminist claims in a country where politics is dominated by men. At the same time, she appeared conservative in her views on immigration and pledged to significantly strengthen controls.
