Sanae Takaichi has been reappointed as Japan's Prime Minister by Parliament on Wednesday, marking the formation of her second Cabinet. This follows a significant election victory last week, which she believes will enable a shift towards more conservative policies in the country. It is anticipated that all her previous ministers will remain in their positions. Takaichi plans to use this day, often seen as a mere formality, to strengthen her ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which currently holds a two-thirds supermajority in the lower house, the more influential of Japan’s two parliamentary chambers. Her objectives include increasing military strength, boosting government spending, and reinforcing conservative social policies. With the LDP controlling two-thirds of the 465-seat lower house, Takaichi’s party can dominate key positions in house committees and push through legislation that the upper house, where the ruling coalition lacks a majority, has previously rejected. She aims to enhance Japan’s military capabilities, tighten immigration laws, promote male-only succession in the imperial family, and maintain a controversial tradition that encourages women to drop their surnames. While she aspires to amend the U.S.-drafted pacifist Constitution from the postwar era, this may have to wait as she confronts challenges such as rising prices, a shrinking population, and concerns over military security. Her immediate priority is to tackle the issue of increasing prices and stagnant wages, along with passing a budget bill to support these initiatives, which was postponed due to the recent election.
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