THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

The new leader of Japan's ruling party, poised to be first female prime ... The Asahi Shimbun National Report article THE ASSOCIATED PRESS October 7, 2025 at 11:55 JST Sanae Takaichi, the newly-elected leader of Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), gestures as she leaves the party leader's office after the LDP leadership election in Tokyo on Oct. 4. (Pool Photo via AP) Japan’s embattled governing party now has its new leader, former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, a hardline conservative who is poised to become the country’s first female prime minister. Takaichi, 64, immediately needs to seek ways to get her long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party to stay in power and regain public support by delivering measures to address inflation and diplomatic challenges such as U.S. President Donald Trump. A staunch supporter of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ’s conservative vision, Takaichi is on the verge of losing her party’s long-time coalition partner, the Buddhist-backed dovish centrist Komeito, because of her ultra-conservative politics. Those include a revisionism of wartime history and regular visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, seen as a symbol of m…

Japan's Takaichi breaks bread to assuage party malcontents TOKYO - Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been spending more time socializing with senior ruling party members over lunches and dinners in recent months, in an apparent overture to ease internal dissatisfaction with her leadership style. The outreach came as Takaichi's surprise move to call a snap election earlier this year and her push, despite the already tight parliamentary schedule because of the poll, to have the fiscal 2026 state budget enacted on time had apparently ruffled the feathers of some ruling party members. Log in or create a Free MembershipAccount or Free Membership Provides Newsletter from Editorial Team and access to archive articles from past three months. By continuing, you agree to theTerms of Use,andPrivacy Policy.

Takaichi turns to 'wine-and-dine' politics to woo LDP bigwigs The Asahi Shimbun Politics article By HAYATO JINNO/ Staff Writer June 8, 2026 at 07:00 JST Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi leaves the Prime Minister’s Office on May 22. (Takeshi Iwashita) Breaking from her reluctance to break bread with politicians, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is having dinner meetings with senior members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party more often than previously. She used to openly say that she didn’t want to partake in traditional male-dominated “wine-and-dine” politics, rarely attending dinner gatherings. But that changed after April when Takaichi started inviting LDP executives to the Prime Minister’s Official Residence. While it has been pointed out there is a lack of communication between the prime minister and the LDP, it appears she wants to show consideration to her party in her own way. On the evening of May 22, Takaichi had a dinner meeting with eight executive members of the LDP’s Upper House caucus, including its chairman, Masaji Matsuyama, and Junichi Ishii, chair of its Diet Affairs Committee, at her residence. They spent about 90 minutes dining on Western-style cuisine …

Japan's Takaichi breaks bread to assuage party malcontents TOKYO – Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been spending more time socializing with senior ruling party members over lunches and dinners in recent months, in an apparent overture to ease internal dissatisfaction with her leadership style. The outreach came as Takaichi’s surprise move to call a snap election earlier this year and her push, despite the already tight parliamentary schedule because of the poll, to have the fiscal 2026 state budget enacted on time had apparently ruffled the feathers of some ruling party members. “The prime minister had not been aware of the growing rifts,” a source close to her said, referring to friction between Takaichi and Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers in the House of Councillors, who were in charge of negotiations with an angry opposition over the budget. The ruling coalition of the LDP and Japan Innovation Party does not hold a majority in the upper house and opposition support is critical for passing budgets and bills. The situation is different in the more powerful House of Representatives, where it secured a supermajority following the February general election. Takaichi is known to…

Editorial: Japan PM Takaichi must heed public opinion as ... - 毎日新聞 Sanae Takaichi, standing, is applauded after being reelected prime minister during a House of Representatives plenary session, Feb. 18, 2026. (Mainichi/Akihiro Hirata) The second Cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been inaugurated, with all its members reappointed from her first Cabinet after serving in their posts for less than four months. The move is aimed at ensuring a stable administration and driving its policies forward for the time being. Following the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)'s sweeping victory in the recent House of Representatives election, the power balance between the ruling and opposition parties has drastically changed. Takaichi was reelected prime minister in the Diet without a hitch. The LDP has regained control of the chairpersonship of all lower house committees, including those previously held by the opposition when the LDP was governing as a minority. Just winning the election does not mean that the LDP can bypass the Diet. We urge the party to take a restrained approach precisely because it has scooped up an overwhelming number of seats in the lower chamber. The steer…

Japan's Takaichi breaks bread to assuage party malcontents TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been spending more time socializing with senior ruling party members over lunches and dinners in re

Takaichi socializing more with senior ruling party members over lunches ... Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a media conference in Archamps, France, after a meeting of the G7 in Evian-les-Bains on June 17. Image: AP/Laurent Cipriani politics Takaichi socializing more with senior ruling party members over lunches and dinners June 21 04:29 pm JST June 22 | 06:23 am JST 29 Comments TOKYO Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been spending more time socializing with senior ruling party members over lunches and dinners in recent months, in an apparent overture to ease internal dissatisfaction with her leadership style. The outreach came as Takaichi's surprise move to call a snap election earlier this year and her push, despite the already tight parliamentary schedule because of the poll, to have the fiscal 2026 state budget enacted on time had apparently ruffled the feathers of some ruling party members. "The prime minister had not been aware of the growing rifts," a source close to her said, referring to friction between Takaichi and Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers in the House of Councillors, who were in charge of negotiations with an angry opposition over the budget. The r…

Takaichi Cabinet Restarts: Self-Discipline Needed in Era of ... - QOSHE Editorial 15:00 JST, February 10, 2026 Sunday’s House of Representatives election saw the Liberal Democratic Party achieve a landslide victory, securing its largest number of seats since the end of World War II, while the opposition ended up as small parties with no more than a few dozen lower house members each. Japanese politics are said to have entered an unprecedented era of “one strong party, many weak ones.” In the lower house election two years ago and the House of Councillors election last year, the movements of independent voters created significant fluctuations, leading to crushing defeats for the LDP. In the most recent election, the same dynamic appears to have worked in the LDP’s favor. Because the opposition parties lack sufficient strength, however, a misjudgment by the government could lead to an irreversible situation. The government’s responsibility is immense. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi must not only advocate for the necessity of bold policy shifts, but sincerely explain their content and significance to the public and seek their understanding as well. Meanwhile, opposition parties are st…

Japan's Takaichi breaks bread to assuage party malcontents This file photo shows Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, center, receiving congratulations from ruling Liberal Democratic Party colleagues, including Secretary General Shunichi Suzuki, left, and Vice President Taro Aso, on the passage of a supplementary budget through the House of Representatives, in Tokyo on June 4, 2026. (Kyodo) TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been spending more time socializing with senior ruling party members over lunches and dinners in recent months, in an apparent overture to ease internal dissatisfaction with her leadership style. The outreach came as Takaichi's surprise move to call a snap election earlier this year and her push, despite the already tight parliamentary schedule because of the poll, to have the fiscal 2026 state budget enacted on time had apparently ruffled the feathers of some ruling party members. "The prime minister had not been aware of the growing rifts," a source close to her said, referring to friction between Takaichi and Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers in the House of Councillors, who were in charge of negotiations with an angry opposition over the budget.…

Japan's ruling party forms new coalition - Chinadaily.com.cn By HOU JUNJIE | China Daily | Updated: 2025-10-21 09:09 Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi has largely boosted her chances to be elected Japan's first female prime minister after her party formally signed an agreement in Tokyo to form a coalition government with the Japan Innovation Party on the eve of the extraordinary session of the Diet. Hirofumi Yoshimura, the leader of the JIP and Osaka Governor, told reporters in Osaka on Monday, "I told her, 'Let's push Japan forward together.'" The new LDP-JIP coalition will command 231 seats in the Lower House, two short of a majority. To secure a first-round victory, the LDP has already reached out to smaller parties. Nikkei Asia reported that the LDP has already courted Sanseito, a right-wing populist party, as well as other smaller political forces. The Japan Times reports that the LDP and JIP have agreed to push for a secondary capital — reflecting the JIP's goal of making Osaka Japan's second capital — to cut 10 percent of parliamentary seats and to reform the social security system. However, LDP and JIP failed to agree on banning co…

Takaichi Administration established by the LDP-JIP Coalition Japan Friday 7 November 2025, byToshizo Omori Tweet On October 21, during the Extraordinary Diet session, LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) President Sanae Takaichi was nominated as Prime Minister, establishing the Takaichi administration through a coalition between the LDP and JIP (Japan Innovation Party). This development brought to a temporary conclusion the month-and-a-half-long period of “political realignment” that began with former Prime Minister Ishiba’s resignation announcement following the LDP’s crushing defeat in the July Upper House Election and continued through the election of the new LDP President, Takaichi. This brief essay analyzes the political character of the newly formed Takaichi administration and the framework of Japan’s immediate political situation, situating it within the broader international political context. It also seeks to clarify the challenges and tasks facing the left. The LDP-Komeito coalition lost its majority in the July Upper House election and subsequent political realignment In the Upper House election in July, the ruling LDP-Komeito coalition suffered a major defeat, losing i…