Tokyo – Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s coalition won a historic election on Feb. 8, paving the way for her proposed tax cuts and increased military spending aimed at countering China.
Takaichi Secures Supermajority
Ms. Takaichi, Japan’s first female leader who has stated she is inspired by Britain’s Margaret Thatcher, was projected to deliver as many as 328 of the 465 seats in Parliament’s Lower House for her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The LDP surpassed the 233 seats needed for a majority within two hours of polls closing, marking one of its best-ever election results.
With her coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (Ishin), Ms. Takaichi now holds a supermajority of two-thirds of the seats, allowing her to override the Upper Chamber, which she does not control.
“This election involved major policy shifts – particularly a major shift in economic and fiscal policy, as well as strengthening security policy,” Ms. Takaichi said in a television interview as the results came in. “These are policies that have drawn a great deal of opposition. If we have received the public’s support, then we truly must tackle these issues with all our strength.”
Snap Election and Voter Turnout
Ms. Takaichi, 64, called the rare winter snap election to capitalize on her personal approval ratings after becoming leader of the ruling LDP in late 2025.
Voters braved record snowfall in parts of the country to cast their ballots, with some polling stations closing early due to the weather. It was only the third post-war election held in February, as elections are typically called during milder months.
Outside a polling station in Uonuma, Niigata prefecture, teacher Kazushige Cho, 54, said, “It feels like she’s creating a sense of direction – like the whole country pulling together and moving forward. That really resonates with me.”
Economic Concerns and Foreign Relations
Ms. Takaichi’s promise to suspend the 8 percent sales tax on food to help households cope with rising prices has concerned investors, given the nation’s substantial debt. She stated she would expedite consideration of the sales tax cut while maintaining fiscal sustainability.
Chris Scicluna, head of research at Daiwa Capital Markets Europe in London, said, “Her plans for the cut in the consumption tax leave open big question marks about funding and how she’s going to go about making the arithmetic add up.”
Yoshinobu Tsutsui, head of Japan’s top business lobby Keidanren, welcomed the result as restoring political stability, stating, “Japan’s economy is now at a critical juncture for achieving sustainable and strong growth.”
The LDP, which has governed for most of Japan’s post-war history, had lost control of both Houses in elections over the past 15 months under Ms. Takaichi’s predecessor Shigeru Ishiba. Ms. Takaichi revitalized the party’s fortunes by building a following on social media and appealing to younger voters.
She has also sparked an unlikely youth-led craze called “sanakatsu,” roughly translated as “Sanae-mania,” with products she uses, such as her handbag and pen, in high demand.
On Feb. 5, Ms. Takaichi received the “total endorsement” of U.S. President Donald Trump.
China will also be closely monitoring the results. Weeks after taking office, Ms. Takaichi touched off the biggest dispute with China in over a decade by publicly outlining how Tokyo might respond to a Chinese attack on Taiwan. China responded with economic countermeasures, including urging its citizens not to travel to Japan.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te was among the first foreign leaders to congratulate Ms. Takaichi, expressing hope for a “more prosperous and secure future for Japan and its partners in the region.”
A strong mandate for Ms. Takaichi could accelerate her plans to bolster the country’s defense, which Beijing has criticized as an attempt to revive Japan’s militaristic past. Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said he wanted to proceed “with speed” on defense policies while pursuing dialogue with China.
David Boling, principal at the Asia Group, said, “Beijing will not welcome Takaichi’s victory. China now faces the reality that she is firmly in place – and that its efforts to isolate her completely failed.”
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