A Rising Sanae in Japan

It would seem an ominous event for the future of civilized society occurred this weekend, if one were to judge by the reaction of some of the world’s press outlets.

The overtones of doom and gloom are so depressingly obvious in their choice of adjectives.

IT SEEMS DEMOCRACY ITSELF IS AT STAKE!!!

When in fact…

…it turnsd out that it was simply democracy in ACTION, and the miserable pissants didn’t like the results.

CALL A WAAHMBULANCE

The motorcycle-riding, heavy-metal drummer, Prime Minister of Japan, Sunae Takaichi, had taken another bold move out of the norm for most Japanese politicians, when she called for a snap election 110 days after she became prime minister.

She did, she said, so that there would be no question about the path and policies she intended the country to pursue.

…Ms. Takaichi told NHK after her victory on Sunday that she had called the snap election because she felt “it would be wrong to simply drag things along without seeking a public mandate.” Regarding the legitimacy of her government, Ms. Takaichi noted she had “felt a sense of unease for a while.”

 Takaichi wanted the public’s understanding and support before diving into the work and the massive changes she has planned ahead.

…“I’ve been seeking a mandate on major policy shifts — most notably, a significant change in economic and fiscal policy, strengthening national security policy, and enhancing intelligence capabilities,” Takaichi said on Fuji TV on Sunday night, noting they had all faced considerable opposition. “If we do earn the public’s confidence, I feel a strong responsibility to commit myself fully to the work ahead.”

Most Japanese elections are held during the milder months, as winters are brutal in the northern latitudes, and this winter has been a hummer. Critics also questioned the wisdom of scheduling an election for February.

It turns out the Japanese were literally willing to crawl through snow drifts, blizzards, and freezing Arctic temperatures to vote on Sunday.

…Voters have been drawn to her straight-talking, hardworking image, but her nationalistic leanings and emphasis on security have strained ties with Japan’s powerful neighbour China, while her promises of tax cuts have rattled financial markets.

Residents trudged through snow to cast their ballots with record snowfall in some parts snarling traffic and requiring some polling stations to close early. It was only the third postwar election held in February, with elections typically called during milder months.

Outside a polling station in the town of Uonuma in the mountainous Niigata prefecture, teacher Kazushige Cho, 54, braved below-freezing temperatures and deep snow to cast his vote for Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party.

“It feels like she’s creating a sense of direction – like the whole country is pulling together and moving forward,” Cho said.

Because the optimistic, effervescent Takaichi gives them hope.

…“She gives the Japanese public hope,” said David Boling, a former deputy assistant US Trade Representative who is now at the Asia Group, an advisory firm. “She’s an ideological conservative, but she’s winning on optimism, charm, and communication.”

They gave her an electoral landslide in the dead of winter.

When a conservative clearly wins an election, they’re “seizing power.”

When a leftist undemocratically coups, its just Tuesday to a journo. https://t.co/nEkpqEXf67 pic.twitter.com/V4CbKuvUfS

— Andrew Follett (@AndrewCFollett) February 8, 2026

Takaichi’s LDP party victory was so large that they had to cede 13 seats to other parties because they didn’t have the candidates to fill them.

Her fan club immediately took to X to congratulate her.

Thank you, @realDonaldTrump, for your kind and encouraging message of congratulations.
I look forward to working closely with you, Donald, to advance peace, strength, and prosperity for our two nations.

トランプ大統領、温かく心強い祝意のメッセージをありがとうございます。… pic.twitter.com/7jm3kF4VeI

— 高市早苗 (@takaichi_sanae) February 9, 2026

I love the #GirlPower here

Congratulazioni di cuore al Primo Ministro @takaichi_sanae per l’importante successo conseguito alle elezioni per il rinnovo della Camera dei Rappresentanti del Giappone.

Le nostre Nazioni sono unite da una profonda amicizia e da un partenariato strategico che continua a… pic.twitter.com/rG1Pc5o8U8

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) February 8, 2026

…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.

Our Nations are united by a deep friendship and a strategic partnership that continues to grow stronger thanks to the relationship of sincere trust and constructive collaboration that we have been able to build over these years between our Governments.

I always carry in my eyes and in my heart the extraordinary welcome I received during my visit in January, which further strengthened the bond between our Nations. Italy will continue with conviction to walk alongside Japan to jointly address global challenges, promote growth, security and stability, and make the relationship that unites us even deeper.

Best wishes for good work to my dear friend Sanae and to the new Japanese Parliament.

As Treasury Secretary Bessent says, Takaichi will now have 2/3 control of the lower house, which can override anything the upper house does.

…The lower house, or House of Representatives, is the more powerful of the two chambers that comprise the National Diet – the Japanese equivalent of parliament.

…A stronger hand in the lower house will empower her government to make progress on its right-wing agenda, including passing a record-setting 122.3 trillion yen (£571bn) budget.

And with the projected two-thirds majority, she can override the Diet’s upper chamber, the House of Councillors, which she does not control.

 She is now well-positioned to begin implementing her entire agenda.

My sincerest congratulations to Prime Minister @takaichi_sanae on her historic victory, securing the biggest post-war electoral margin in Japanese history.

As @POTUS has said, she will not let the people of Japan down.

When Japan is strong, the U.S. is strong in Asia, and the… pic.twitter.com/v7KHHflAkH

— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) February 8, 2026

The folks who did not send congratulatory bouquets included the Chinese, who are not happy in the least about Takaichi to begin with, and this consolidation of support for her aggressive posture and full-throated support for Taiwan is only adding to their discomfiture.

@jennjettkw maybe you didn’t write this caption, but it was the PRC 🇨🇳 that unjustifiably started the diplomatic tantrum

— Daniel Ku 顧仲文 🇹🇼🇨🇦 (@danzwku) February 8, 2026

The ‘diplomatic spat’ that NBC News lays at the Prime Minister’s feet actually began when, after being asked about Chinese intentions towards Taiwan in a Parliamentary session, Takaichi answered that a Chinese attack on the island would be seen as an attack on Japan.

Chinese noses were simultaneously knocked out of joint by her comments, and they issued unsubtle hints that they expected an apology, one they would normally get with any other Japanese PM who had stepped over that shaky diplomatic insult line.

The ‘spat’ came when Takaichi told the Chinese, for all intents and purposes, to piss up a rope. She meant what she said and would be apologizing for nothing.

…That economic vision fits with her strategy on defense. Though in power for just four months, Takaichi managed to both strike up a good personal rapport with Trump, who gave her an unusual election endorsement last week and will welcome her to Washington for a summit meeting on March 19, while also deeply angering Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Back in November, Takaichi linked Taiwan’s security with Japan when answering a question in parliament, prompting Beijing to respond with diplomatic and economic measures targeting her country. But she didn’t back down, and was rewarded by voters on Sunday.

The scale of Takaichi’s victory may embolden her to go even further: Attempting to revise Japan’s constitution to explicitly state a right to possess a military, a long-running goal of the LDP. Such a move would also require two-thirds support in the upper house, which her party doesn’t control, as well as the backing of a majority of the public in a national referendum.

Interestingly, the Diet member who asked the PM the question has family members and businesses in China and is known as a CCP proxy. Could they have been stirring the pot purposefully?

No. Doubt.

It didn’t help matters that, along with Chinese state #hurtfeelingz, regime mouthpieces threatened to decapitate the Japanese Prime Minister.

This whole big civilized act right up to where the mask drops if they feel crossed, and the barbarian slips out. Every time.

Now, to the horror of the Chinese, the Australian media and, apparently, much of our own, this lady has the firepower to get a rock-solid start on her plans to turn the country’s moribund economy and constitutionally restricted, purely defensive military around.

It’s not going to be easy. Japanese incomes fell every month in 2025.

And while she’s promised to do away with the 8% food tax, anxious economist eyes want to know how she’d make up for the lost revenue.

…Ms. Takaichi’s win comes as right-wing groups in Japan are gaining strength. Sanseito, a Japanese political party that shares some similarities to Mr. Trump’s MAGA movement, won 15 seats, up from two, according to NHK. The party has an outsize voice in national politics, and it has put pressure on Ms. Takaichi to move swiftly to raise stagnant wages and crack down on immigration.

Ms. Takaichi might push other changes long sought by conservatives, including enacting an anti-espionage law and amending a pacifist clause in the Constitution to unfetter Japan’s military.

The economy was front and center in the campaign. Ms. Takaichi has put forward aggressive government spending programs that aim to spur growth, but have also stoked jitters about Japan’s staggering debt levels.

A proponent of fiscal stimulus to break a longstanding deflationary cycle, Ms. Takaichi pushed through a record supplementary budget last year. She has accelerated plans to increase military spending and to advance large state-led investments in artificial intelligence and semiconductor manufacturing.

Japanese families are seeking relief amid the rising costs of some staples like energy and fresh food.

But, for the moment, the afterglow of a landslide has the LDP and Prime Minister Takaichi firmly in its aura.

And the United States has a stalwart friend in the region who speaks the same language of strength.

And national pride.

“We must build a Japan where young people can feel pride in being born in this country”

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s speech after winning the biggest victory in the LDP’s history. pic.twitter.com/37eYy5WgBv

— 🇯🇵 Colonel Otaku Gatekeeper 🇯🇵 (@politicalawake) February 9, 2026

Isn’t it ironic that America’s two best, toughest, no-nonsense allies in Asia and Europe are women?

Pretty cool.

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