The ascension of a confident, groundbreaking leader, Sanae Takaichi, to prime minister has generated a new sense of optimism in Japan. Whether that optimism can be sustained is key not only to Takaichi’s political success, but to the revival of her embattled — yet still ruling — Liberal Democratic Party.
According to a recent Kyodo News poll, 64% of respondents approve of Takaichi’s newly appointed Cabinet, a higher level of support than the two previous prime ministers at the start of their terms. It is still too early to tell if this “vibe shift” will be more lasting or substantial than the poll bump that typically accompanies incoming administrations. Past Japanese leaders have enjoyed honeymoon phases that have quickly evaporated — and the historic rise to power of the nation’s first female prime minister has clearly been a boost.
What is clear, however, is that the new public mood has to do more with Takaichi’s popularity than growing confidence in the LDP, which, in the past year has suffered a series of election defeats, losing its majorities in both houses of the parliament for the first time since its founding in 1955.
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