Takaichi Wins Big, signaling a hawkish shift and closer U.S. ties
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was reelected and formed a second cabinet, vowing to deepen U.S.-Japan economic security cooperation (including rare earths) while pursuing a more assertive security stance, backed by a two-thirds ruling majority. She plans military expansion, tougher immigration rules, and potential steps toward constitutional revision, even as she faces domestic pressures like inflation and debt alongside a planned visit to Washington to coordinate with Trump.
