Japan’s Takaichi Wins Snap Election By Landslide. What You Need To Know

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s coalition won a landslide victory in a general election on Sunday, a result that could significantly alter the country’s relationship with China and lead to deep economic reforms. 

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Takaichi’s decision to hold a snap election just months after her historic rise to power paid off as her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was projected to win as many as 328 of the 465 seats in the parliament’s lower house—enough to form a supermajority. 

“I wanted the voters to give me a mandate because I advocated for responsible, proactive fiscal policy that would significantly shift economic and fiscal policy,” Takaichi told public broadcaster NHK late Sunday.

Read More: How Sanae Takaichi Remade Japan’s Ruling Coalition to Become the Country’s First Female PM

Takaichi made history just a few months ago by becoming Japan’s first female prime minister after her predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, resigned as head of the ruling LDP.

Even though Japan isn’t due for another general election until late 2028, Takaichi called the election in hopes of gaining a mandate to introduce her sweeping conservative agenda.

She campaigned on a tougher stance toward China, rebuilding Japan’s military, tougher immigration rules and economic reforms.

Takaichi ushered in a change in leadership style as she rose to power, a shift in her party, which has led Japan for most of the last seven decades and been dominated by older, male politicians.

She was credited with her social media strategy that won over disillusioned young voters and became known for her pledge to “work, work, work” on behalf of her country.

Takaichi has earned President Donald Trump’s endorsement ahead of Sunday’s vote. He said on Truth Social Thursday that she had “already proven to be a strong, powerful, and wise leader… one that truly loves her country,” adding: “She will not let the people of Japan down!” 

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reacted to her win on Sunday, praising her as a “great ally, great relationship with the president.”

Here’s what you need to know about what comes next. 

Relations with China will change 

Takaishi gave plenty of hints during her campaign that she would take a tougher stance toward China. 

Shortly after taking office, Takaishi made waves by publicly stating that Japan might respond to an invasion of Taiwan, noting that such an invasion could trigger collective self-defenseand a “survival-threatening situation.” She has also said she would bolster Japan’s military, ending decades of pacifist policy that began after World War II.

China has taken issue with Takaishi’s comments, viewing Taiwan as part of its territory, and has responded with attempts to isolate Japan, telling Chinese tourists to “avoid traveling to Japan in the near future” at the end of last year and reimposing a ban on Japanese seafood imports.

Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told TV stations as election results rolled in that he wanted to proceed “with speed” on policies to strengthen Japan’s defense while pursuing dialogue with China.

In the past, leaders have avoided making explicit statements about hypothetical military scenarios, and Takaichi, seen as a China hawk, has been cheered by nationalists and criticized by opponents for her statements.

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, meanwhile, was among the first foreign leaders to congratulate Takaichi, saying on X that he looks forward to facing “regional challenges together in the spirit of shared values and mutually beneficial cooperation, thereby promoting peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”

Economic reforms

Takaichi, who counts former conservative U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as her political hero, has pledged drastic economic reforms. 

Among them is a plan to suspend the 8% consumption tax on food to ease the burden of rising prices on households.

“We will accelerate talks over a sales tax reduction,” Takaichi told reporters in the aftermath of the election on Sunday.

Takaichi also promised partial tax deductions for babysitting expenses and corporate tax incentives for companies that offer in-house childcare—a sign that she may be warming to more family-friendly policies. 

“We will prioritise the sustainability of fiscal policy. We will ensure necessary investments. Public and private sectors must invest. We will build a strong and resilient economy,” she said Sunday.

A supermajority 

The LDP easily won a majority in the lower house, and with its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (Ishin), Takaishi will be almost certain to form a supermajority, making it much easier to enact her conservative agenda.

Meanwhile, the country’s far-right Sanseito party, which promises a familiar priority of “Japanese first,” is projected to win up to 14 seats, falling short of its goal of 30 but significantly increasing the party’s representation in the lower house. 

Gender politics

Though Takaichi made history as the country’s first female prime minister in October 2025, her stance on gender and sexuality politics has prompted mixed reactions to her rise.

Takaichi supports the imperial family’s male-only succession and opposes same-sex marriage as well as amending the 19th-century law requiring married couples to have the same surname, under which most women are pressured into abandoning theirs. There is growing support in Japan for couples to have different surnames, but Takaichi said the practice “may destroy the social structure based on family units.”

“She doesn’t have a very positive track record on gender issues, on family-friendly policies, women’s empowerment,” Jeff Kingston, a professor of Asian studies and history at Temple University’s Tokyo campus, told TIME last year. “Coming from the right wing of the party, there is a strong, conservative family-and-social-values emphasis.”