Does Takaichi's victory herald a new age for women in Japan's politics?
Source: East Asia Forumw
Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won the general election on 8 February 2026 in the biggest win for any Japanese party since the LDP’s formation in 1955. It captured 316 seats in the Diet’s lower house, well above the 233 seats needed for a simple majority. The LDP now also holds majorities in all 17 parliamentary committees, giving it immense power over decision-making.
But the real election winner was Sanae Takaichi, who first became prime minister in October 2025. Pre-election polls, conversations with LDP candidates and YouTube viewing data suggested that her popularity underpinned a significant portion of the LDP’s vote. When Takaichi called the election on 19 January 2026, she wanted a stronger mandate for her leadership. The results show she has it.
Japanese voters have been hungry for something different from the elderly male leaders who have long headed the LDP. Takaichi is certainly different.
She is a woman, the first to lead the LDP and Japan’s first female prime minister. The country was ready for a woman at the helm. She also comes from a non-political, non-wealthy background. For many voters, she has put the ‘representative’ back in representative democracy. Her public speaking and decisive style appealed to voters, and her widely publicised jam with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung also bolstered her image.
The same cannot be said for the confused — and confusing — main opposition party, the Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA), formed only weeks before the election when the left-leaning Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan merged with Komeito — the Buddhist-backed former LDP coalition partner. Both party leaders are over the age of 65 and have struggled to project dynamism. You know you are in trouble when the LDP looks cooler and more diverse than you.
Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won the general election on 8 February 2026 in the biggest win for any Japanese party since the LDP’s formation in 1955. It captured 316 seats in the Diet’s lower house, well above the 233 seats needed for a simple majority. The LDP now also holds majorities in all 17 parliamentary committees, giving it immense power over decision-making.
But the real election winner was Sanae Takaichi, who first became prime minister in October 2025. Pre-election polls, conversations with LDP candidates and YouTube viewing data suggested that her popularity underpinned a significant portion of the LDP’s vote. When Takaichi called the election on 19 January 2026, she wanted a stronger mandate for her leadership. The results show she has it.
Japanese voters have been hungry for something different from the elderly male leaders who have long headed the LDP. Takaichi is certainly different.
She is a woman, the first to lead the LDP and Japan’s first female prime minister. The country was ready for a woman at the helm. She also comes from a non-political, non-wealthy background. For many voters, she has put the ‘representative’ back in representative democracy. Her public speaking and decisive style appealed to voters, and her widely publicised jam with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung also bolstered her image.
The same cannot be said for the confused — and confusing — main opposition party, the Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA), formed only weeks before the election when the left-leaning Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan merged with Komeito — the Buddhist-backed former LDP coalition partner. Both party leaders are over the age of 65 and have struggled to project dynamism. You know you are in trouble when the LDP looks cooler and more diverse than you.