Sanae Takaichi’s Electoral Victory: Reasons and Implications

Sanjay Pulipaka

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), led by Prime Minister (PM) Sanae Takaichi, has secured an emphatic electoral victory. Japan’s lower house has 465 seats, and the LDP won 316, securing a two-thirds supermajority. The LDP’s alliance partner, the Japan Innovation Party, won about 36 seats. This is the first time a political party in Japan has secured a supermajority in the lower house since the Second World War. 

The Rise of Sanae Takaichi

Sanae Takaichi’s ascent to the office of prime minister followed a three-decade-long political career. She was first elected to parliament in 1993 and served as a minister during Shinzo Abe’s tenures as prime minister. In October 2025, following Shigeru Ishiba’s resignation as prime minister, Takaichi was elected prime minister of Japan. She is the first woman to serve as Japan’s prime minister. Within 90 days of assuming the office of prime minister, Sanae Takaichi called for a snap poll. There was considerable speculation about the prudence of organising an election in peak winter, as it may affect voter turnout. 

There was a perception that, following Shinzo Abe’s death, the LDP lost the mojo of winning electoral majorities in the elections. For instance, in the 2024 election to the lower house, the LDP lost its majority, and in the 2025 election, it lost its majority in the upper house. When Takaichi became Prime Minister, there was no certainty about the longevity of her government, as her appointment was not the result of a popular mandate but of an intra-party election process. However, the recent electoral victory suggests that Takaichi is here to stay not only as premier with a strong public mandate but also as a major political figure in Japanese politics for the foreseeable future.

Explaining the Mandate

What explains Sanae Takaichi’s electoral victory? Many young people connected with Sanae Takaichi’s personality. She is an avid biker, an accomplished drummer, and she jammed with the South Korean president during the latter’s visit to Japan, which caught the attention of many, especially the younger generation. Sanae Takaichi’s communication is direct and uses easy-to-understand phrases. Her statement that, as prime minister, she would “work, work, work, work, work” became a buzz-phrase in Japan.

When asked in parliament about how Japan would respond to a future crisis involving Taiwan, PM Takaichi did not mince words. She stated very clearly that a “Taiwan emergency involving the use of force could be considered a situation that threatens Japan’s survival.” The statement elicited a sharp response from China. Despite persistent Chinese demands to retract the statement, Sanae Takaichi did not dilute her comments. Perhaps her unwillingness to reframe the sentences positioned her as a strong leader.

Although she had a long political career, there was a perception that her foreign policy experience before becoming Prime Minister was limited. However, within a few days of becoming Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi hosted US President Donald Trump. While many world leaders struggled to maintain positive relations with President Trump, she engaged with him with considerable ease. Both leaders addressed troops on a US Navy ship, conveying the impression that the US-Japan alliance is robust. In fact, in the run-up to the elections, Sanae Takaichi’s candidacy received “complete and total endorsement” from US President Donald Trump. 

The Agenda

Prior to the elections, the ruling LDP did not have a majority in both houses of parliament. Therefore, in the run-up to the elections, PM Takaichi clearly stated that she needed a strong mandate to pursue her reform agenda. The scale of the victory will give PM Sanae Takaichi considerable room to implement her economic reform and proactive national security agendas. In fact, the LDP has a super-majority in the lower house, which will enable it to initiate various legislative measures.

PM Sanae Takaichi has often called for broad-based economic measures to stimulate growth, including lowering the consumption tax, a relatively weaker yen to promote exports, increased public spending, and support for AI and semiconductor manufacturing companies. In her first policy speech in October last year, PM Takaichi promised to increase defence expenditure to 2% of gross domestic product. Not surprisingly, the stock market responded positively, with a surge in defence and technology stocks.

The Challenges

Now that Sanae Takaichi has received a strong mandate, Japan will likely have a stable government, which is much needed to navigate the turmoil in world politics. There are a few challenges that PM Takaichi will have to address in the near future. She must ensure that the implementation of economic reforms does not undermine the country’s fiscal position, increase debt, or render inflation unmanageable.

On the foreign policy front, despite the friendship and respect between the Japanese premier and the US president, it is likely that PM Takaichi will devote more time to the relationship with Washington, DC. Reports suggest the Trump administration may be growing impatient with the slow rollout of USD 550 billion in Japanese investments, which was agreed under the US Japan framework agreement in July last year.

However, PM Takaichi’s pressing challenge would be to manage the frayed relationship with China. Responding to the PM Takaichi electoral victory, the spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry noted that the “election is the internal affair of Japan,” but called on Japan to “retract the erroneous remarks of Sanae Takaichi on Taiwan.” Speaking to the media after the election victory, PM Takaichi stated that Japan is communicating with China at “various levels” and went on to add that her government would respond “calmly and appropriately from the standpoint of Japan’s national interests.”

Conclusion: India-Japan and the Indo-Pacific

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated PM Sanae Takaichi on her electoral victory and added, “Our Special Strategic and Global Partnership plays a vital role in enhancing global peace, stability and prosperity…I am confident that under your able leadership, we will continue to take the India-Japan friendship to greater heights.” For India, Japan is a major investor and a vital partner in the Indo-Pacific. India has always welcomed a strong Japan that proactively engages in the external domain. Since Sanae Takaichi models herself on former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, there is anticipation in India that she will deepen engagement with India and that both countries will work together to address common challenges in the Indo-Pacific.

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Sanjay Pulipaka is the Chairperson of the Politeia Research Foundation. The views expressed here are personal.