Japan’s ultraconservative PM Sanae Takaichi set for a big election victory

Trump endorsed Takaichi in a Truth Social post on Thursday, calling her “a strong, powerful, and wise” leader.

“In my visit to Japan I, and all of my Representatives, were extremely impressed with her,” Trump said, adding that he and Takaichi would meet at the White House on March 19.

U.S. presidents do not typically endorse candidates in other countries’ elections, but Trump has done so on multiple occasions.

Relations with China have been less positive, after Takaichi told lawmakers in November that a Chinese attack on the Beijing-claimed island of Taiwan could prompt a Japanese military response. Nationalists cheered Takaichi for the remark, which went much further than sitting Japanese leaders have previously, while others criticized it as reckless.

China, one of Japan’s biggest trading partners, responded by reimposing a ban on Japanese seafood imports, implementing restrictions on rare earth mineral exports, and warning Chinese nationals against traveling to Japan.

The economic pressure has not had the immediate effect Beijing was hoping for, Kingston said, with Takaichi refusing to retract her comments.

“She crossed their red line, and that has really redounded to her advantage,” he said. “Japanese people don’t want war with China, but I think they admire her for standing up to the regional bully.”

Snap election is a gamble

The election is a risk for Takaichi, who has said she’ll step down if her ruling coalition loses its majority. But opinion polls suggest that the LDP and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, could win more than 300 of the 465 seats in the House of Representatives, the lower and more powerful house in Japan’s legislature.

The LDP could even win a majority on its own, which would further empower Takaichi to pursue her economic and defense goals.

Her popularity comes even as much of the public remains skeptical of her party, which has been dogged by scandals and suffered two embarrassing election losses in the last two years.

For many voters, Takaichi — a motorbike enthusiast and heavy metal drummer — is a refreshing change of pace in Japan’s male-dominated politics, despite having traditionalist views that are not always seen as advancing women, and the appointment of just two women in her cabinet.