The parliamentary elections in Japan last February led the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) to a record electoral victory, consolidating the position of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who has been in office since October 2025. Along with her, the nationalist, even revisionist, movement of her party. It is difficult to know if it is thanks to—or despite—this radicalism that the Japanese Prime Minister, successor to Shinzō Abe who was assassinated in July 2022, received such significant support. However, many indications suggest that a growing portion of the public perceives the international environment as worrisome and therefore voted for a stable government capable of taking action.
If Sanae Takaichi manages to make a real shift in Japan’s foreign policy, it will probably be less because of her convictions than because Japan is currently in a more vulnerable position than its predecessors. Will the recent visit to Washington by the Japanese Prime Minister, supported by Donald Trump, reshape the cards in a highly tense international context?
The long post-war period in Japan may be coming to an end. For eighty years, Japan has pursued a discreet and often pacifist foreign and security policy in the shadow of the United States, who remained guarantors of its security. However, the recent rise in China’s military power poses a significant challenge, particularly given the potential exclusion of other powers from the South China Sea and East China Sea in a crisis.
Regarding Sanae Takaichi, her plans include revising the Constitution and relaxing Japan’s ban on hosting or introducing nuclear weapons on its soil. These measures, while symbolically significant, face controversy domestically. Japan’s defense budget has reached just 2% of its GDP, with uncertain funding for an increase. The Prime Minister seeks to strengthen Japan’s military capacity, with a focus on industrial policy partially linked to defense and funded through borrowing—a complex approach for a country with a public debt exceeding 230% of its GDP.
Furthermore, Japan aims to enhance its combat capabilities, improve operational coordination with the United States, invest in cybersecurity and space, and develop offensive weapons systems, which have long been seen as contradictory to the Constitution. With the goal of broadening alliances, Tokyo has engaged in strengthening relations with the European Union, Australia, and other countries in the region. However, a recent diplomatic crisis with China has put Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in a challenging position.
As she navigates a complex web of conflicting interests within her party and society, Takaichi’s pragmatism will be tested in dealing with external threats and the potential need to end Japan’s long post-war era.
[Context: The article discusses the recent parliamentary elections in Japan and the potential implications of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s policies, especially in the context of evolving international relations.] [Fact Check: The content accurately reflects key political developments and potential policy shifts in Japan under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.]
