Japan Immigration News

Sanae Takaichi Wants to Make Japan Great Again. It Won’t Be Easy.

Release Date: 2026-02-15
Media: TIME
Summary: The article describes how Sanae Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister after a landslide election victory, with her party securing 316 of the 465 seats in the lower house. She ran on a conservative platform that combined strict immigration controls, expanded defense spending, and large-scale government spending to stimulate economic growth.

Her rise comes at a time when Japan has been struggling with decades of deflation, stagnant wages, an aging population, and a general sense of national decline. Takaichi campaigned on a message of renewal and won support by offering immediate relief to households facing rising prices. Her policies included cash handouts, subsidies for energy bills, rice coupons, and cuts to gasoline taxes. The snap election she called caught the opposition off guard, and the vote became a referendum on her leadership, which she won decisively.

On immigration, she acknowledged that Japan needs foreign workers because of demographic decline, but she emphasized the importance of controlling the inflow. This position reassured voters amid growing anti-immigrant sentiment and helped prevent immigration from becoming a central campaign issue.

Economically, she is pursuing a spending-driven growth strategy similar to a modified version of Abenomics. However, Japan’s public debt is already extremely high, at around 240 percent of GDP. New stimulus measures have increased market concerns, contributing to rising bond yields, a weaker yen, and higher costs for mortgages and imported goods. While she promises tax cuts and strategic investments in key industries, it remains unclear how these policies will be financed.

In security policy, she plans to significantly increase defense spending and strengthen Japan’s military capabilities to deter China. She may also attempt to revise Article 9 of the constitution, which renounces war, though this would require a difficult constitutional process involving a supermajority in parliament and a public referendum.

Her tougher stance toward China has boosted domestic support, and she is expected to emphasize Japan’s role as the United States’ key ally in Asia. At the same time, there are concerns in Tokyo that Washington might reach agreements with Beijing that sideline Japan’s interests.

The article also notes that she may visit Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan’s war dead, including convicted war criminals. Such a visit would likely provoke strong reactions from China and South Korea, where the shrine is seen as a symbol of historical denial. This issue reflects the continuing impact of unresolved wartime grievances on regional relations.

Overall, the article portrays Takaichi as a leader with a strong electoral mandate to pursue economic stimulus, military expansion, and conservative social policies, but also as someone facing major challenges related to debt, demographics, regional tensions, and constitutional reform.
Tags: Immigration Policy