key takeaways
- Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae exceeded even the most optimistic projections for the 8 February general election, leading the LDP to its largest-ever majority in the lower house.
- The victory reflected both her popularity, particularly with young voters, but also the apparent collapse of support for the newly created Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA), which lost longtime opposition strongholds across the country.
- Takaichi faces significant foreign and economic policy challenges but she also may face even fewer domestic obstacles than Abe Shinzō faced at the height of his power, with the CRA’s parliamentary strength broken and many of its leaders driven from their seats.
Japan Foresight 