By Fang Yan
In the final days of Japan’s House of Representatives election campaign, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has emerged as the central figure reshaping the race.
Across the country, her appearances in support of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) candidates have drawn unusually large crowds. Supporters have arrived early and queued voluntarily, with some venues filled beyond capacity. Such scenes have become rare in Japanese electoral politics.
Former prime minister Shinzo Abe’s widow, Akie Abe, has also taken to the streets to publicly endorse Takaichi, saying she believes the current leader will carry forward her husband’s legacy and lead Japan toward renewed national confidence.
With less than a week remaining before the Feb. 8 vote, the LDP had earlier braced for a difficult contest. Recent opinion polls and campaign atmospherics now suggest a sharp reversal. Surveys indicate the ruling party may not only retain power, but could even secure an outright majority.
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One of the most striking changes has come among independent voters. Two years ago, many shifted toward the Constitutional Democratic Party. This time, polling suggests they are backing the LDP.
The opposition’s difficulties have played a role. Efforts to consolidate under a newly formed “centrist reform alliance” have struggled to gain broad support, while fragmented candidate nominations have diluted opposition vote shares.
More decisive, however, has been Takaichi’s personal presence. The turnout at her events appears driven less by traditional party mobilization than by spontaneous public interest. Amid global instability, voters appear increasingly drawn to clear leadership and defined direction.
Takaichi’s campaign messaging on national security and economic policy has been unusually direct by Japanese standards. Her pledge to resign should the LDP fail to secure a majority has reinforced an image of political resolve.
While opposition parties continue to focus on electoral maneuvering, Takaichi has emphasized long-term strategy. Her thinking is outlined in National Power Studies, a volume she oversaw, which argues that Japan should abandon the postwar habit of treating defense, diplomacy, and the economy as separate domains. Instead, it calls for a unified national strategy centered on overall state capacity.
Advocating for an active fiscal policy
Economically, Takaichi has advocated for an active fiscal policy, arguing that the government should lead strategic investment in areas critical to long-term competitiveness. She has identified priority sectors including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, shipbuilding, quantum computing, biotechnology, aerospace, nuclear fusion, and energy security.
She has also supported stricter oversight of foreign investment and sensitive technologies, while defending accommodative monetary policy. In her view, a weaker yen does not necessarily signal national decline, but can support exports and industrial revitalization.
On security, Takaichi has taken a firm stance toward the Chinese Communist Party’s strategic posture. She has framed Taiwan’s security as integral to Japan’s own, echoing Shinzo Abe’s assertion that “a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency.”
Speaking at a rally in late January, she said Japan must urgently revise its National Security Strategy, citing lessons from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the growing role of drone warfare. She warned that modern conflicts demand sustained operational capacity, secure supply chains, and long-term preparedness.
Takaichi has also stressed economic security in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, arguing that domestic production from raw materials to finished goods is essential for resilience during crises.
Her broader economic argument centers on Japan’s low potential growth rate, which she attributes to decades of underinvestment at home. To reverse this, she has promoted what she calls “responsible proactive fiscal policy,” combining state-guided investment with multi-year funding mechanisms to provide businesses with long-term certainty.
Supporters point to Japan’s recent primary fiscal surplus, the first in 28 years, as evidence that strategic investment and fiscal discipline can coexist.
Japanese media have also reported progress in extracting rare earth-rich seabed mud near Minamitorishima Island. The deposits are said to contain high concentrations with minimal radioactive elements, potentially reducing environmental costs and weakening China’s leverage over rare-earth supply chains.
If the LDP secures an outright majority, Takaichi’s government would likely enter a period of political stability. Analysts suggest that Japan and China could then follow increasingly divergent paths, with significant implications for East Asia’s strategic balance.
