Takaichi’s win ushers in unchecked conservative rule in Japan

Sanae Takaichi, president of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was elected as Japan’s one hundred and fifth Prime Minister by way of prime ministerial designation elections, February 18, 2026. /CFP

Editor’s word: Lu Hao, a particular commentator on present affairs for CGTN, is dean of the Strategic Studies Department of the Institute of Japanese Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article displays the writer’s opinions and never essentially the views of CGTN.

On February 18, Sanae Takaichi, president of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was elected as Japan’s one hundred and fifth Prime Minister by lawmakers in parliament.  

With the LDP in sole management of the House of Representatives and the Takaichi administration’s approval score exceeding 60 %, conservative forces have absolutely consolidated their grip on Japan’s political panorama, additional intensifying the rightward shift in Japanese politics. The “strong reforms” championed by Takaichi within the financial and safety fields will face far fewer obstacles and are sure to advance quickly. Japan will even press additional towards its “great power ambitions,” accelerating its drive to interrupt away from the postWorld War II political energy and push for remilitarization.

The LDP’s landslide victory within the House of Representatives election on February 8 highlights marked modifications in Japan’s home political and social ecology. On the one hand, mobilized vigorously by Takaichi, right-wing forces in Japan’s political and social spheres have rallied along with rising momentum, taking a extra proactive stance in shaping the nationwide political agenda. On the opposite hand, the populist-tinged financial and safety insurance policies advocated by Takaichi have absolutely aligned with voters’ psychological calls for, offering them with “emotional value” and “expectations for the future.”

After the election, Japanese media famous that the election outcomes mirrored not solely voters’ dissatisfaction with present financial and social circumstances but additionally their want for a “strong leader” to alter the established order. Some media commented that “amid a lack of substantive policy debates, a massive wave of support emerged for Takaichi, driven by voters eager to break the ‘glass ceiling’ for women in politics.” Against this backdrop, Takaichi’s crafted public picture and coverage guarantees exactly catered to the calls for of numerous centrist voters.  

During the election marketing campaign, the LDP made in depth use of social platforms; movies associated to Takaichi posted on the occasion’s official YouTube channel garnered over 100 million views inside two weeks, sparking hypothesis on social media about whether or not the LDP had invested big promoting charges.

Meanwhile, Japan’s conventional center-left political forces have additional declined. In this election, opposition events unexpectedly fashioned the “Centrist Reform Alliance,” a coalition based mostly on expediency that failed to totally promote its coverage platforms and safe broad public help, and was broadly considered a failed technique.  

In the eyes of the Japanese public, the present opposition lacks the credibility and government capability of a ruling occasion, main many citizens to prioritize “maintaining the status quo” on the polls. In this regard, many voices in Japanese society argue that the LDP’s “overwhelming victory” didn’t solely stem from lively public endorsement, however somewhat was a passive alternative by voters who couldn’t belief the opposition. Public help for Takaichi represents a conditional mandate for her “tough stance and governance capabilities,” not unconditional allegiance.

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (C-front), and her new cupboard members pose for a bunch picture after a press convention on the prime minister’s workplace in Tokyo, Japan, February 18, 2026. /CFP

Takaichi re-elected as Japan’s Prime Minister has ushered in an unprecedentedly optimistic governing state of affairs for her administration. At a press convention, Takaichi reaffirmed her plan to speed up revisions to the “Three Security Documents,” increase the export of deadly weapons and set up a nationwide intelligence company. She additionally expressed a constructive stance on amending the “Peace Constitution,” stating her intent to “create an environment for a national referendum at an early date.” Currently, the LDP and its ruling ally, the Japan Innovation Party, are pushing for the institution of a “drafting committee” for constitutional modification to hurry up the method.

In addition, Takaichi commented on visits to Yasukuni Shrine, saying she is “working to create an appropriate environment for worship.” In response, voices of concern have emerged in Japanese society: Japan’s political stability has been upended, and checks on extremism and hawkish positions are additional weakening. Amid an environment of “populist revelry,” the Takaichi administration might act with better impunity, leaning additional towards right-wing extremism and authoritarianism.

For Japan’s right-wing forces, difficult the “post-war order,” breaking away from the “post-war regime” and attaining the “major power goal” signify a historic and long-term imaginative and prescient and endeavor. This pursuit is rooted in their very own political ideology and likewise serves the personal pursuits of sure factions.  

Following the election, Takaichi, who claims to inherit the “Abe Doctrine” – the international and safety coverage framework developed below former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, will lean extra towards implementing insurance policies with a robust private imprint, aiming to go away a so-called political legacy. This contains accelerating constitutional revision and systematic army buildup, actively selling historic revisionism because the guiding nationwide ideology and persevering with to hype “peripheral security threats” to justify army growth. She will search so-called legitimacy for absolutely breaking the constraints of the Peace Constitution and the “exclusive defense” precept, in addition to for strengthening the Japan-U.S. army alliance.

It may be foreseen that Japan’s “re-militarization” will take extra tangible form in strategic planning, protection coverage, military-industrial infrastructure and mobilization mechanisms, with an more and more outward-looking and offensive posture.  

A Japan that adheres to cold-war confrontation mentality, advocates energy politics and difficult measures, actively seeks to elevate restrictions on its army capabilities and regards neighboring nations as threats, can hardly be anticipated to play a stabilizing or constructive position in regional peace sooner or later. On the opposite, it’s prone to act as a destabilizing drive fueling regional safety tensions, bloc confrontation, arms races and even the danger of nuclear proliferation.

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Source: CGTN