"Japan's firebrand prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, and her Liberal Democratic Party were on track for a big victory in snap elections Sunday, according to exit polls, probably securing a robust parliamentary majority and broader public mandate for her conservative agenda. The election was driven by enthusiasm about Takaichi, Japan's first female prime minister, and early exit polls appeared to affirm a strong appetite for her "Japan First" approach."
"The LDP was on track to win some 300 seats in the parliament's lower chamber, according to exit polling published by public broadcaster NHK immediately after polls closed at 8 p.m. - far higher than the 233 needed for a majority, Takaichi, 64, swept into office last year, promising to protect the nation's manufacturing industries and signaling a more hawkish approach toward China."
"In campaign speeches, Takaichi has focused on economic issues and called for more restrictive immigration measures. She has also said she will boost Japan's offensive military capabilities and lift a ban on lethal weapons exports, signaling a shift from some of the pacifist principles adopted by Japan after World War II. Since becoming prime minister, Takaichi's unusually blunt statements about Taiwan have also inflamed tensions with Beijing."
Sanae Takaichi and the Liberal Democratic Party were projected by exit polls to win a commanding majority in the lower chamber, around 300 seats, far above the 233-seat threshold. Voter enthusiasm centered on Takaichi as Japan's first female prime minister and her "Japan First" platform. Campaign priorities included protecting manufacturing, restricting immigration, strengthening offensive military capabilities, and lifting the ban on lethal weapons exports. Those policy shifts mark a move away from some post-World War II pacifist principles. Takaichi's blunt comments on Taiwan have raised tensions with Beijing and underscored a hawkish regional stance.
Read at The Washington Post
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