9.2.2026
Japan Premier Sanae Takaichi said Monday she will make her country stronger to defend itself after a historic election landslide.
Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won a two-thirds majority in the lower house for the first time in its history, capitalising on her strong popularity since taking office in October in Sunday’s snap election.
The outcome allows Japan’s first woman prime minister to stamp her mark on the country of 123 million people over the next four years, having pledged to boost the economy and get tough on immigration.
“This is the start of a heavy, heavy responsibility to make Japan stronger, more prosperous,” Takaichi, 64, told a news conference on Monday.
“We believe that the public has shown understanding and sympathy regarding our appeals concerning the urgent need for a major policy shift,” she said.
The admirer of “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher also said she would bolster Japan’s defences, including through creating a new intelligence bureau and revising key security policy documents.
“No one will come to the aid of a nation that lacks the resolve to defend itself with its own hands,” Takaichi said.
“We will steadfastly protect our nation’s peace and independence, our territory, territorial waters, airspace, and the lives and safety of our citizens,” she added.
Such comments are likely to go down badly in China – which has territorial disputes with Japan and others around the region – especially after Takaichi suggested in November that Japan could intervene militarily if Beijing sought to take Taiwan by force.
China, which regards the democratic island as part of its territory and has not ruled out force to annex it, was furious.
On Monday, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry again urged Japan to retract the comments.
Beijing warned Tokyo that “reckless” actions would be met with a “resolute response from the international community”.
“Our nation is open to various dialogues with China. We already have exchanges of views. We will continue the exchanges of views. But we will deal with them in calm and appropriate ways,” said Takaichi who was a drummer for heavy metal group back in her days.
Capitalising on her honeymoon start after becoming Japan’s fifth premier in as many years in October, Takaichi called the snap election last month.
The gamble paid off, with the LDP winning around 316 of the 465 seats contested, according to Japanese media.
That takes the party past the 310-seat threshold needed for a two-thirds majority for the first time in its history and may prompt the government to try and make changes to the country’s constitution.
Takaichi was on the ultra-conservative fringe of the LDP when she became party chief.
Despite being her country’s first woman premier, Takaichi has shown little appetite for framing her leadership around gender in male-dominated Japanese politics.
She has been a hit with voters, especially young ones, with fans lapping up everything from her handbag to her jamming to a K-pop song with South Korea’s president.
“With prices rising like this, what matters most to me is what policies they’ll adopt to deal with inflation,” voter Chika Sakamoto, 50, told AFP on Sunday.
But helping households could make markets jittery about Japan’s colossal debts, which are more than twice the size of the economy.
This was shown by yields on long-dated Japanese bonds hitting record highs during the election campaign after Takaichi floated suspending a food tax.
Tokyo’s Nikkei index of stocks jumped more than five percent early Monday and closed 3.9 percent higher.
Takaichi reiterated on Sunday her mantra of having a “responsible” fiscal policy but added that she wanted “to build a strong and resilient economy.” AFP
Metal Lady...Japan Prime Minister Takaichi talking tough.