With public support intact and domestic authority consolidated, Takaichi has little room for hesitation abroad. She seeks to anchor US power firmly in the Indo-Pacific while sharpening Japan’s strategic posture toward China and Russia. But in a world of shifting power centres and uncertain American leadership, does doubling down on Washington strengthen Japan—or constrain it?
Labelled as “the world’s most powerful woman” by The Economist, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, appears fearless in undertaking whatever she has decided to do. Through an unorthodox snap election at the beginning of the regular Diet session in January, she won a two-thirds majority in the Lower House of the Diet. Public support remains high at 69% according to The Nikkei, and she has more than two years before the next election to the Upper House and is sure to retain the presidency of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) for a while. In fact, it was appropriate that the first thing she emphasised at the initial policy address as Prime Minister last October was the need for “political stability.” She declared that without such stability, neither strong economic nor strong foreign and security policies could be pursued.