Overview
- Elected by both chambers as the 104th prime minister and Japan’s first woman to hold the post, Sanae Takaichi formed a minority government with Nippon Ishin providing outside support rather than taking cabinet posts.
- Takaichi emphasized an active fiscal stance to tackle persistent price pressures, with talks under way with Ishin that prioritize household support alongside spending reviews.
- She said she will direct revisions to the National Security Strategy and two related documents and begin a reassessment of Japan’s defense buildup.
- Key appointments include Minoru Kihara as chief cabinet secretary and Kimi Onoda as the minister overseeing foreign resident policy.
- The coalition agreement seeks legislation this session to cut roughly 10% of lower-house seats, and separate reports say Takaichi asked the labor minister to consider easing working-hour rules and is weighing deputy posts for lawmakers tied to a slush-fund case.