Handbags and Hashtags Shape Japan's Youth Vote, Takaichi Bets Big
A Japan politics piece centers on Sanae Takaichi leveraging youth engagement through fashion cues (handbag, pink pen) and social-media hype while pitching a tech-forward policy agenda (Sanaenomics, 1.03 million yen income barrier reform, big-state investment in semiconductors and AI) to address growth and debt. The article frames a broader debate over whether the campaign’s visuals translate into substance, with comments ranging from support for tech-focused policies to concerns about popularity politics and potential conscription or media manipulation.