Takaichi's Gamble Pays Off: Japan's First Female PM Wins Historic Supermajority

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party won more than 310 of the 465 seats in Japan's lower house of parliament on Sunday, securing a two-thirds supermajority in a snap election that reshapes the country's political landscape Sanae Takaichi’s conservatives cement power in landslide Japan election wintheguardian.com·SecondaryResults mean coalition of recently installed PM has supermajority in lower house of parliament Japan’s conservative governing coalition has dramatically strengthened its grip on power after a landslide victory in Sunday’s elections in what will be seen as an early public endorsement of the new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi.. It is the first time a single party has achieved such a majority since World War II.

The ruling coalition, including partner Ishin (Japan Innovation Party), won more than 340 seats combined Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Wins Snap Election in a Landslidenytimes.com·Secondary. The result gives Takaichi a commanding mandate just three months after she took office — but it has also raised concerns among opposition figures, constitutional scholars, and regional observers about the concentration of power in a leader known for nationalist and revisionist positions.

A Calculated Risk

Takaichi dissolved parliament in January, calling a snap election that she described as a "profoundly weighty decision" that put her own position on the line Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Wins Snap Election in a Landslidenytimes.com·Secondary. The move came just three months after she succeeded Shigeru Ishiba, who resigned under pressure from within the LDP following a damaging political funds scandal that had eroded public trust in the party.

The gamble was designed to translate her unusually high personal approval ratings into a stronger parliamentary mandate before those ratings could fade. Japanese political analysts had noted that Takaichi's popularity was partly a honeymoon effect — a pattern seen with previous prime ministers who often see support drop after their first major policy controversies.

Turnout was modest despite the high-profile nature of the contest, with cold temperatures and snowy conditions in parts of the country keeping some voters home. Takaichi thanked those who "braved the cold and walked through the snowy roads to cast their votes" Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Wins Snap Election in a Landslidenytimes.com·Secondary.

What the Supermajority Means

The two-thirds majority in the lower house gives the LDP the power to override votes in the upper house, where the party lacks a majority, and — most significantly — to propose amendments to Japan's pacifist constitution Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Wins Snap Election in a Landslidenytimes.com·Secondary.

Constitutional revision has been a long-standing goal of the LDP's conservative wing, dating back to the party's founding in 1955. Article 9 of Japan's postwar constitution, drafted during the American occupation, renounces war and prohibits Japan from maintaining military forces capable of waging it. While successive governments have reinterpreted the clause to allow a Self-Defense Force with increasingly broad capabilities, Takaichi has been more explicit than her predecessors about wanting formal changes Sanae Takaichi’s conservatives cement power in landslide Japan election wintheguardian.com·SecondaryResults mean coalition of recently installed PM has supermajority in lower house of parliament Japan’s conservative governing coalition has dramatically strengthened its grip on power after a landslide victory in Sunday’s elections in what will be seen as an early public endorsement of the new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi..

However, amending the constitution also requires a national referendum, and public opinion remains divided. Polls conducted before the election showed that while a majority of Japanese voters support some form of constitutional discussion, support drops significantly when the specific question of revising Article 9 is raised.

Koichi Nakano, a political scientist at Sophia University in Tokyo, cautioned that the supermajority should not be read as a public endorsement of constitutional revision. "Voters chose Takaichi because she was popular and the opposition was weak — not because they want to rewrite Article 9," Nakano told reporters. "The LDP should be very careful about interpreting this mandate too broadly" Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Wins Snap Election in a Landslidenytimes.com·Secondary.

The supermajority also means Takaichi's party and its coalition partner will chair all lower house committees, giving them effective control over the legislative agenda Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Wins Snap Election in a Landslidenytimes.com·Secondary.

The Opposition's Collapse

The result represents a devastating blow for Japan's opposition parties. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), the largest opposition force, had hoped that public anger over the LDP's political funds scandal — in which party factions were found to have systematically underreported fundraising income — would continue to erode governing party support.

The scandal had forced Ishiba's resignation and seemed to put the LDP's decades-long dominance in genuine jeopardy. In the previous October 2024 election under Ishiba, the LDP had lost its majority for the first time in 15 years, winning just 191 seats Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Wins Snap Election in a Landslidenytimes.com·Secondary.

But Takaichi's personal popularity insulated the party from the scandal's fallout. Voters drew a distinction between the new leader and the party establishment figures implicated in the misconduct — a dynamic that Takaichi's campaign actively cultivated.

Opposition leaders expressed alarm at the concentration of power. CDP leader Yoshihiko Noda called the supermajority "dangerous for Japanese democracy" and warned that a single party with the ability to override the upper house undermines the checks and balances of the parliamentary system.

The far-right Sanseito party, which campaigned on a "Japanese first" platform, was projected to win up to 14 seats — quadrupling its numbers but falling well short of the 30 it had targeted Sanae Takaichi’s conservatives cement power in landslide Japan election wintheguardian.com·SecondaryResults mean coalition of recently installed PM has supermajority in lower house of parliament Japan’s conservative governing coalition has dramatically strengthened its grip on power after a landslide victory in Sunday’s elections in what will be seen as an early public endorsement of the new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi..

'Sanamania' and the Youth Factor

Takaichi's victory was driven in part by genuine popularity among younger voters — a demographic the LDP has historically struggled to engage. Japanese media has dubbed the phenomenon "Sanamania," comparing it to the public enthusiasm around former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's early tenure Sanae Takaichi’s conservatives cement power in landslide Japan election wintheguardian.com·SecondaryResults mean coalition of recently installed PM has supermajority in lower house of parliament Japan’s conservative governing coalition has dramatically strengthened its grip on power after a landslide victory in Sunday’s elections in what will be seen as an early public endorsement of the new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi..

Her appeal extends beyond traditional LDP demographics. Takaichi has cultivated a savvy social media presence, and viral moments — including an impromptu drum session with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung — have helped her connect with voters who typically tune out Japanese politics Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Wins Snap Election in a Landslidenytimes.com·Secondary.

Critics, however, argue that Takaichi's popularity is more about style than substance, and that media coverage has been disproportionately focused on her personality rather than her policy positions on sensitive issues like historical revisionism, the Yasukuni Shrine, and her past associations with far-right organizations.

Trump's Endorsement and the US-Japan Alliance

In an unusual intervention in a foreign election, US President Donald Trump endorsed Takaichi on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, calling her "a strong, powerful, and wise" leader Sanae Takaichi’s conservatives cement power in landslide Japan election wintheguardian.com·SecondaryResults mean coalition of recently installed PM has supermajority in lower house of parliament Japan’s conservative governing coalition has dramatically strengthened its grip on power after a landslide victory in Sunday’s elections in what will be seen as an early public endorsement of the new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi.. Trump celebrated the victory again on Sunday, calling it a "LANDSLIDE Victory" and announcing a White House meeting scheduled for March 19.

Takaichi responded on X by thanking Trump and declaring the potential of the US-Japan alliance "LIMITLESS" Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Wins Snap Election in a Landslidenytimes.com·Secondary.

While the warm personal relationship between the two leaders is seen as a diplomatic asset in Tokyo, some analysts worry it creates vulnerability. Japan's alliance with the United States has traditionally been managed through institutional channels rather than personal chemistry, and an overreliance on leader-to-leader rapport could leave Japan exposed to shifts in US priorities.

George Edward Glass, the US ambassador to Japan, congratulated Takaichi on what he called an "impressive win" and said he looked forward to deepening ties with her government Sanae Takaichi’s conservatives cement power in landslide Japan election wintheguardian.com·SecondaryResults mean coalition of recently installed PM has supermajority in lower house of parliament Japan’s conservative governing coalition has dramatically strengthened its grip on power after a landslide victory in Sunday’s elections in what will be seen as an early public endorsement of the new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi..

The China-Taiwan Flashpoint

Takaichi's foreign policy stance on Taiwan has been one of her most defining — and controversial — positions. In November 2025, she told Japanese lawmakers that a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan could prompt a Japanese military response, triggering a major diplomatic row with Beijing Sanae Takaichi’s conservatives cement power in landslide Japan election wintheguardian.com·SecondaryResults mean coalition of recently installed PM has supermajority in lower house of parliament Japan’s conservative governing coalition has dramatically strengthened its grip on power after a landslide victory in Sunday’s elections in what will be seen as an early public endorsement of the new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi..

The statement went further than any sitting Japanese leader has gone on the Taiwan issue. Beijing responded sharply, warning Japan against "playing with fire" on what China considers a core internal matter.

With a supermajority now behind her, Takaichi has a stronger mandate to pursue a more assertive defense posture in the region. But the approach carries risks — Japan's economy remains deeply intertwined with China's, and an escalation in tensions could have significant economic consequences.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te was among the first foreign leaders to congratulate Takaichi, writing on X that he looked forward to "promoting peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific" Sanae Takaichi’s conservatives cement power in landslide Japan election wintheguardian.com·SecondaryResults mean coalition of recently installed PM has supermajority in lower house of parliament Japan’s conservative governing coalition has dramatically strengthened its grip on power after a landslide victory in Sunday’s elections in what will be seen as an early public endorsement of the new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi..

Markets and Economic Challenges

Financial markets responded positively to the decisive result. The Nikkei index traded up more than four percent in Monday morning trading, as investors welcomed the political stability that a clear mandate provides Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Wins Snap Election in a Landslidenytimes.com·Secondary.

But Takaichi inherits significant economic challenges. Japan's population continues to age rapidly, with the working-age population shrinking each year. The yen remains weak, pushing up import costs and squeezing household budgets. And while Takaichi has pledged to prioritize fiscal sustainability while ensuring "necessary investments," the specifics of her economic program remain unclear Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Wins Snap Election in a Landslidenytimes.com·Secondary.

What Comes Next

Takaichi's supermajority gives her the legislative power to pursue constitutional reform, but the political and public barriers remain substantial. Her March 19 meeting with Trump at the White House will be an early test of whether the personal rapport can produce concrete policy outcomes on trade and defense burden-sharing.

And as Japan positions itself for a more active role in Indo-Pacific security, Takaichi's willingness to confront China on Taiwan will continue to be the defining tension of her premiership — one that her electoral mandate gives her more room to navigate, but that could also draw Japan into conflicts it has spent decades avoiding.