Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Calls Snap Election Amid Economic Challenges

In October 2024, Sanae Takaichi made history by becoming the first woman Prime Minister of Japan. Takaichi, 64, climbed to the country’s highest office after spending years within the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Takaichi succeeded Shigeru Ishiba, who stepped down in the aftermath of a series of setbacks for the LDP. Now, just months after assuming power, Takaichi has taken the risk of calling a snap election in Japan. But what do we know? Why did she call the poll? Will her gamble pay off? First, let’sexamine how the fortunes of the LDP have turned around. As perThe Guardian,early last year, the LDP was down in the dumps. Ishiba, an unpopular Prime Minister, had lost ground for the party in not one but two elections. The party’s approval rating from voters was on a steady decline as it was in the middle of a slush-fund scandal. Factions of the LDP were looking to replace Ishiba. The party had two options before it – Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of a former prime minister, or Takaichi. The LDP surprised many by choosing Takaichi, who then defeated Yoshikoko Noda of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan in the Lower House to emerge as prime minister. Still, even as Takaichi, a protégé of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, took in the tumultuous applause and bowed deeply, many remained sceptical about whether she could pull off the top job. Since then, Takaichi has seen ups and downs as prime minister. She oversaw visits from US President Donald Trump – who offered a “complete and total endorsement” and invited her to the White House – as well asChinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. Takaichi also got into a fracas with China by publicly outlining how Tokyo might respond to Beijing attacking Taiwan. Takaichi’s decision to suspend the eight per cent sales tax on food – in line with her election promise to help households cope with rising prices – prompted investors to flee Japanese bonds and sank the yen. Investors could not compute how Japan, the country with the world’s heaviest debt-to-GDP ratio, would find the money to replace the $30 billion (around Rs 2.49 lakh crore) in yearly revenue that it would lose. Experts saythat the Bank of Japan may not be in a position to help Takaichi if the market sinks. However,Takaichi has maintained her popularity. As perCNN, polls show her approval ratings remain over 50 per cent overall and as high as 80 per cent among people in their 20s. This is particularly true for the youth of Japan. Takaichi, who draws inspiration from Britain’s Margaret Thatcher, and who has 2.6 million followers on X, has used the power of social media to keep herself in the public eye. She has also become an unlikely fashion icon, with fans clamouring to buy the $900 (around Rs 74,700) black leather bag she carries and the pink pen she scribbles with. Clips of Takaichi, which are short, succinct and slogan-heavy, often go viral. She recently performed a K-pop duet with South Korea’s President Lee. Two 20-year-old students toldCNNTakaichi’s smile first intrigued them. Rather than calling her Prime Minister or “Ms Takaichi”, they refer to her as “Sana-chan” – as if she were a close friend. One even said she uses the same pink pen as Takaichi. “It makes me feel closer to her,” she said. “Compared to the previous prime minister, you see a lot of posts on social media showing how hard she’s working,” she added. “I see young people starting to get interested in politics because of that.” “Until now, politics has been dominated by senior male figures,” Yuiko Fujita, an associate professor at Tokyo University, toldNikkei Asia.“The fact that the prime minister is now a woman, someone with a different background from what people are accustomed to, creates a feeling that something is shifting.” Some have raised a red flag overher comments about Japan’s response to a potential invasion of Taiwan. “The effects of Takaichi’s comments … haven’t fully appeared yet,” Hajime Kidera, a professor at Meiji University’s School of Political Science and Economics, toldCNN. “But as they do, more people may begin questioning whether Japan’s economy can really be entrusted to her leadership.” Takaichi has called the snap election because she only has a razor-thin majority in Japan’s parliament – nowhere near enough to implement her agenda. Making the announcement last month, she said the Japanese people must be given the opportunity to decide whether she is “fit to run the country”. Takaichi is clearly trying to capitalise on her popularity in order to expand her party’s numbers in parliament and give her more room to manoeuvre. This remains to be seen. The polls show that Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, known as Ishin, could get as many as 300 seats in the 465-seat Lower House of parliament. However, it remains to be seen whether the young people who overwhelmingly support Takaichi will turn up in droves at the polling stations. In the October general election before she became prime minister, only 36 per cent of those aged 21 to 24 voted in the capital of Tokyo. Meanwhile, around 71 per cent of those aged 70 to 74 cast their ballot. “Prices are so high,” Tomomi Kawamura, a Tokyo housewife who remains undecided, toldThe Guardian.“I want something done about that.” Polls show that the far-right Sanseito party, which is fielding a record 190 candidates, could gain ground. It is estimated that the Sanseito party, which won seats in the Upper House last year while decrying foreigners, could get as many as 15 seats. While Sanseito, which has sought ties with US President Donald Trump’s Maga movement, will remain a small party, its emergence has helped shift the political discourse in Japan to the right, a trend seen in other advanced democracies. Another factor that could influence turnout is the weather. The election will be the first since 1990 to be held in mid-winter, with some parts of northern and western Japan buried under record snowfall. More snow is expected on Sunday, with possibly even a rare sprinkling in Tokyo, which could snarl up travel. Turnout in Japanese elections, which the LDP has dominated in the post-war era, is lower than in most other advanced democracies, at around 55 per cent in recent votes. With inputs from agencies The annual cherry blossom festival in Fujiyoshida, Japan, near Mount Fuji, has been cancelled due to severe overtourism and concerns over residents' quality of life. Authorities cited issues such as overcrowding, trespassing, littering, and safety concerns for local families as reasons for ending the decade-long event. Despite the cancellation, the city expects high visitor numbers during the cherry blossom season and is preparing for increased tourism. Get the latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.