Japan’s Iron Lady Took a Risk — and Won Big

If you haven’t noticed, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is a staunch conservative who is like Japan’s version of Margaret Thatcher — she has even earned the nickname “Japan’s Iron Lady.” Although I don’t imagine that Thatcher ever drummed to metal.

Takaichi is also eager to align with other nations that have conservatives in leadership. You could almost say that her slogan is 日本を再び偉大にする — “Make Japan Great Again.” What makes Sanae Takaichi interesting isn’t any slogan, though; it’s the snap election gamble she took and how decisively it paid off.

After taking office in October, Takaichi called a snap election for Japan’s National Diet, its parliament. Exit polls for Sunday’s election suggested that Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) would win between 274 and 326 seats. The wins for the LDP and its coalition partner, Ishin, put the coalition well above the 310 seats it needed for a supermajority in the Shūgin, or House of Representatives. It’s a comfortable enough supermajority to override the Sangīn, or House of Councillors, where Takaichi’s coalition doesn’t have a majority.

NBC News reports:

An NHK exit poll as voting ended earlier Sunday projected the LDP would win 274 to 326 seats. The party and its coalition partner, Ishin, were projected to win a combined 302 to 366 seats as voters turned out amid freezing temperatures in a rare winter election.
The far-right Sanseito party, which promises to put “Japanese first,” was projected to take up to 14 seats, according to the exit poll, which would quadruple its numbers but fall short of the 30 it had targeted.
Speaking from LDP headquarters as the results came in, Takaichi said her party’s coalition with Ishin would continue, adding that she would place importance on fiscal sustainability and had no plans for a major cabinet reshuffle.

One of the first to congratulate Takaichi was Ching-te Lai, the president of Taiwan. He wrote on X:

Heartfelt congratulations to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi @takaichi_sanae for securing victory in today’s general election, with the Liberal Democratic Party winning a majority of seats in the House of Representatives. This clearly demonstrates the Japanese electorate’s trust and high expectations in your leadership and vision. It is not only an affirmation of the achievements of the ruling party, but also a clear endorsement of your efforts to advance the long-term development of the nation.

In a comment to himself, Lai added, “I look forward to working with you so that Taiwan and Japan can continue to face regional challenges together in the spirit of shared values and mutually beneficial cooperation, thereby promoting peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”

“May your victory bring an even more prosperous and secure future for Japan and its regional partners,” Lai concluded. “Wishing Japan continued sustainable development and well-being for its people.”

President Donald Trump offered his congratulations as well:

Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, wrote on X, “Heartfelt congratulations to Prime Minister @takaichi_sanae for the significant success achieved in the elections for the renewal of the House of Representatives of Japan.”

Takaichi thanked Meloni on X:

Dear friend Prime Minister @GiorgiaMeloni, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for your warm words of congratulations. I would also like to once again thank you for your visit to Japan last month. Welcoming Giorgia to Japan and deepening our friendship as leaders who together confront various domestic and international challenges has greatly encouraged me personally, and has given me renewed strength to “ganbaru” even more—for Japan and for the world. We recently redefined the relationship between Japan and Italy as a “Special Strategic Partnership.” Under this new partnership, I look forward to elevating our bilateral relationship to even greater heights and continuing to “ganbaru” together with Giorgia, with the aim of addressing and resolving the various challenges facing the international community. I look forward to seeing you again soon.

She also thanked Trump:

I am sincerely grateful to President Donald J. Trump for his warm words. I look forward to visiting the White House this spring and to continuing our work together to further strengthen the Japan–U.S. Alliance. Our Alliance and friendship with the United States of America are built on deep trust and close, strong cooperation. The potential of our Alliance is LIMITLESS. Let us work together to ensure that our Alliance continues to bring peace and prosperity to our two nations—and beyond.

Congratulations to Takaichi on a bold gamble that paid off. Here’s hoping that she can continue to lead Japan into a conservative future with other partnerships with nations that value freedom, security, and economic prosperity.

日本とアメリカに乾杯！ — Cheers to Japan and the United States! 🇺🇸 🇯🇵

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日本とアメリカに乾杯。 🍻