KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The passage of the 2026 budget on 7 April clears the way for a crowded second half of the legislative session.
- Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae is preparing to advance controversial national security policies and lay the groundwork for her expansionary fiscal program, all while managing the impact of the Hormuz crisis.
- However, the resistance to the government’s budget blitz suggests that the government could still face more hurdles than the prime minister’s popularity and lower house majority would suggest.