key takeways
- In her third bid for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership, Takaichi Sanae rode a wave of popular support to a surprising victory over Koizumi Shinjirō.
- Takaichi will try to revive the LDP’s fortunes through a pivot back to the right – a re-embrace of “Abe-ism” – though this shift, while likely attractive to some voters who have been drawn to conservative anti-establishment parties, could alienate some other voters as well as longtime LDP coalition partner Kōmeitō.
- She will therefore face an uphill battle to overcome Japan’s period of political instability.