Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s sweeping election victory on Sunday has cleared domestic opposition to her assertive security agenda, signaling a likely acceleration of defense spending and a tougher stance toward China.
Takaichi’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) coalition captured 352 of the 465 seats in the lower house, giving her a strong mandate to pursue military initiatives aimed at deterring threats to Japanese territory, including those near Taiwan.
In November, Takaichi sparked a diplomatic dispute with Beijing after suggesting Japan could respond militarily if China attacked Taiwan in a way that also threatened Japanese territory. China called the remarks provocative, warning Tokyo against “resurging militarism,” and imposed economic countermeasures, including export restrictions and travel boycotts.
Analysts say the election outcome sends a clear signal that Japan is not intimidated by Chinese pressure. “The Japanese people clearly chose to stand tall,” said Shingo Yamagami, a former ambassador to Australia, highlighting national sentiment in response to Beijing’s coercive actions. Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to Japan praised Takaichi’s victory as a sign Japan would not yield to Chinese threats.
Takaichi, a fan of Britain’s former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, has already accelerated defense spending to reach 2% of GDP by March and pledged to ease restrictions on arms exports and pursue joint defense projects with other nations. Her government plans a new national security strategy by year-end, which could see military spending rise toward 3% of GDP, analysts say.
The prime minister also has a potential path to amend Japan’s pacifist constitution to formally recognize the Self-Defense Forces as a military, a long-discussed goal that would require approval in the upper house and a national referendum.
While Takaichi’s ambitions may face fiscal constraints due to planned tax cuts and stimulus measures, her strong parliamentary majority provides an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen Japan’s defense posture, a move likely to further strain relations with Beijing.
