Overview

• Takaichi’s election as Liberal Democratic Party president positions her to form a government given the party’s dominance in national politics.
• She has emphasized reinforcing the Japan–U.S. alliance and supports broader security coordination with South Korea, Australia, and the Philippines.
• She backs revising Article 9 and has signaled openness to higher defense and diplomacy funding in response to a worsening security environment.
• She promotes closer ties with Taiwan, has advocated a quasi-security partnership, and previously agreed with President Lai Ching-te to share defense-related information.
• Her domestic priorities include reducing economic reliance on China, opposing intellectual property theft, and tightening immigration enforcement, including deporting fraudulent asylum claimants.