“Far-right.” “Revisionist.” “Ultraconservative.”

Descriptions like these in international and domestic media coverage of Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, reveal a dangerous pattern of inflammatory mischaracterization that not only distorts public understanding, but inadvertently amplifies foreign disinformation campaigns targeting the nation's democracy.

This systematic bias — employing loaded terminology and decontextualized narratives — undermines informed democratic discourse precisely when Japan faces unprecedented regional security challenges and domestic transformation.