JAPANESE Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi scored a historic election triumph on Sunday, delivering her ruling coalition a commanding two-thirds supermajority in the lower house of parliament and clearing the way for major shifts in fiscal and security policy.
Reuters reported on Sunday that Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party won 316 of the 465 seats in the lower house, its strongest showing on record.
Together with coalition partner the Japan Innovation Party, known as Ishin, the government now controls 352 seats, allowing it to override the upper chamber, where it does not command a majority.
The decisive result followed Takaichi’s gamble on a rare winter snap election, called to capitalise on her strong approval ratings since she became Japan’s first female prime minister in October.
“This election involved major policy shifts — particularly a major shift in economic and fiscal policy, as well as strengthening security policy,” Takaichi said in a television interview as the results emerged.
“These are policies that have drawn a great deal of opposition ... If we have received the public's support, then we truly must tackle these issues with all our strength.”
U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated Takaichi on her victory, saying in a social media post that he wished her “great success in passing your Conservative, Peace Through Strength agenda”.
“Sanae's bold and wise decision to call for an election paid off big time,” Trump said, adding that he would host Takaichi at the White House next month.
At 64, Takaichi has projected a straight-talking, disciplined image that has resonated with voters, particularly the young. Her rise has helped reverse the fortunes of the LDP, which had lost control of both parliamentary chambers under her predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, in elections over the past 15 months.
Her popularity has even spawned a youth-driven “sanakatsu” craze, loosely translated as “Sanae-mania”, with items such as her handbag and the pink pen she uses in parliament becoming sought-after merchandise.
Voters turned out despite harsh winter conditions, with heavy snowfall disrupting transport and forcing some polling stations to close early. It was only the third postwar Japanese election to be held in February, with campaigns typically staged during milder seasons.
Outside a polling station in the snowbound town of Uonuma in Niigata prefecture, teacher Kazushige Cho, 54, said he supported Takaichi’s party despite sub-zero temperatures.
“It feels like she’s creating a sense of direction — like the whole country is pulling together and moving forward,” he said.
While the election outcome has restored political stability, it has also intensified concerns among investors. Takaichi has pledged to suspend an 8 per cent sales tax on food to help households cope with rising prices, a proposal that has rattled financial markets given Japan’s position as the most heavily indebted advanced economy.
Takaichi said on Sunday she would move quickly to consider the tax cut while remaining mindful of fiscal discipline.
“Her plans for the cut in the consumption tax leave open big question marks about funding and how she's going to go about making the arithmetic add up,” said Chris Scicluna, head of research at Daiwa Capital Markets Europe in London.
Business leaders reacted cautiously but positively to the result. Keidanren chairman Yoshinobu Tsutsui said the victory would bring stability at a critical moment.
“Japan's economy is now at a critical juncture for achieving sustainable and strong growth,” he said.
Beyond economics, Takaichi’s strengthened mandate is expected to accelerate her push to bolster Japan’s military capabilities, a stance that has already strained relations with China.
Weeks after taking office, she sparked the most serious diplomatic dispute with Beijing in more than a decade by publicly outlining how Japan might respond to a Chinese attack on Taiwan.
China responded with countermeasures, including advising its citizens against travelling to Japan.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te was among the first foreign leaders to congratulate Takaichi, saying he hoped her victory would “bring a more prosperous and secure future for Japan and its partners in the region”.
Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said he intended to push ahead with defence-strengthening policies while keeping diplomatic channels with China open.
“Beijing will not welcome Takaichi’s victory,” said David Boling, principal at geopolitical advisory firm the Asia Group.
“China now faces the reality that she is firmly in place — and that its efforts to isolate her completely failed.”
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday congratulated Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on her coalition’s sweeping election victory, praising her leadership and reaffirming his support in a message posted on social media.
Wishing Takaichi “great success in passing your Conservative, Peace Through Strength Agenda,” Trump said it was “my honour to endorse you,” noting that he had formally backed her ahead of the vote on Friday.
Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, secured a historic win in Sunday’s election, strengthening her mandate to pursue proposed tax cuts and increased defence spending aimed at countering China.
While the outcome has bolstered her political standing, the fiscal pledges have unsettled financial markets concerned about Japan’s debt burden.
“She is a highly respected and very popular leader,” Trump wrote. “Sanae’s bold and wise decision to call for an election paid off big time.”- February 9, 2026
.jpeg)
.jpg)
