The formation of the new administration has brought significant changes. First, Komeito voluntarily ended its 26-year coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). In its place, the Japan Innovation Party (Ishin) entered into a coalition with the LDP. As a result, Sanae Takaichi — who had self-deprecatingly remarked after becoming LDP president that she might be a “pitiful woman who may never become prime minister” — has now become Japan’s 104th Prime Minister, making history as the nation’s first female leader.
Opinions are divided on whether Japanese politics will now move in a better or worse direction. However, early approval ratings for the new government are relatively high compared with previous administrations—64.4% in a Kyodo News poll and 71% in a Yomiuri Shimbun poll. Notably, support is particularly strong among younger generations.
Takaichi herself had been strongly determined to become prime minister, seeking support in the leadership election not only from the Democratic Party for the People and the Japan Innovation Party, but also from smaller parties such as NHK Party, Sanseito, the Japan Conservative Party, and independent lawmakers. That determination has now borne fruit. At one point, there were proposals from both the LDP side and the opposition alliance to make Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki prime minister. However, his hesitation allowed Ishin to seize the momentum and win decisively.
In this sense—whether viewed positively or negatively—the winners of this political shift are Takaichi and the Japan Innovation Party. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party for the People, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, and Komeito can be seen as the losers. The situation clearly demonstrates that success or failure in politics often depends on determination, timely decision-making, and swift action.
After reading the full 12-point coalition agreement between the LDP and Ishin, and listening to Takaichi’s policy speech, my overall impression is that there is a strong intention to return to the era of LDP dominance under former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. With Komeito gone, and Takaichi—who leans conservative—teaming up with the Japan Innovation Party, Japanese politics appears poised to shift further to the right compared to the period from the Abe administration through the Kishida government.
Needless to say, today’s Japan is fundamentally different—both domestically and internationally—from the era when it was the world’s second-largest economy. In her speech, Takaichi repeatedly used expressions such as “making Japan strong again.” However, while national strength is important, we must not allow a focus on state power to come at the expense of individual rights. Instead of prioritizing a “strong nation,” I hope Japan will aim to be a country where all people can live safely and happily.