How will Japan change under its new prime minister? | The Intelligence podcast
Will Sanae Takaichi push Japan further to the right? Noah Sneider, our East Asia bureau chief, and Rosie Blau, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, explore Japan’s first female prime minister’s path to power and what her leadership means for the country’s future.
00:00 – Who is Takaichi Sanae?
01:10 – How did she rise to power?
02:05 – What do we know about her background?
03:40 – What drives her political ideology?
04:20 – Is she a populist?
05:10 – What are her economic plans?
06:00 – Where does she stand on social issues?
06:50 – What does her foreign policy look like?
08:00 – Will she bring stability to Japanese politics?
Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/4oFhII2
China’s disappearing bosses: https://econ.st/47uNWjf
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#TheEconomist #Japan #Takaichi Sanae
50 Comments
Finally, a media pundit (Noah Sneider) who can actually pronounce Takaichi's surname correctly.
Takaici Sanae
She is CooL｡
Her approval rate is around 71%…
Let’s look for the future, not the past…
Thank you for your shallow explanation about Japan.
First, please understand the relationship between colonies and their mother countries. The one with the trade surplus is the mother country. For example, Britain is America's colony.
Second, in a democracy, election results are everything. A coalition of parties clasping hands does not represent the will of Japanese citizen. The proper approach is to wait and see the results of the next election.
Third, the Komeito Party is not a Buddhist organization but a Chinese espionage network. If you're investigating Japan, you should at least point this out.
If altcoins don't make a bull, if the money keeps going down, the world will go into crisis. People have been hiding the gold they bought for years, now the amount of gold under the pillow is 10 tons in my country.
酷い分析だ。エコノミストは日本人に喧嘩を売ってるのか？
East asian chief cant pronounce asian names , 😂
Takaichi is somewhat conservative, but the only ones who would call her a nationalist or the ultra right are left-wing or "liberal" scholars, Japanese media leaning to the left, and so called Dupes influenced by them. Those include, of course, the mouthpieces for the Chinese Communist Party and the Korean Workers' Party. This commentator, also, speaks of "his own opinion of Takaichi" that is influenced by them as if it were objective fact. By the way, who are they? Japan expert?
I write as a supporter of Ms. Sanae Takaichi. With respect, your publication’s perspective on the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) merely echoes the outdated viewpoints of Japan’s traditional (legacy) media. I am astonished that even a globally renowned outlet such as The Economist appears to lack a nuanced understanding of the Japanese electorate’s perspective. While I acknowledge that, as foreign correspondents, your resources may be limited, it is surprising that The Economist’s reporters exhibit such a one-dimensional outlook. To label Ms. Takaichi a “populist” is, in itself, evidence of your publication’s adherence to an antiquated media paradigm. Ms. Takaichi has never been part of the LDP’s mainstream. It has, for the past three decades, consistently opposed austerity policies aligned with the recent U.S. Democratic Party, as well as subservience to the United States and acquiescence to China. The rise of voter awareness in response to the failures of liberalism, globalism, and neoliberalism—espoused by outlets such as yours—has contributed to this outcome, much as it has in European politics. Japanese voters harbour doubts about the excessive neoliberalism and globalisation (including LGBTQ and mass-migration, etc.) that your publication appears to endorse. This sentiment mirrors developments in the United Kingdom, Italy, the United States, and Hungary, where what you unilaterally term “far-right” regimes have gained traction.
I see some possibilities with her helping to improve Japan’s economy. I hope she can get the tourism problem under control – I want to visit, and maybe teach, in Japan. I don’t want to be looked at with hatred because too many tourists are allowed in and behave badly.
Trump’s economic policies and authoritarian ambitions are not parallel tracks they are interwoven.
The deliberate destabilization of the economy serves as both a smokescreen and a scaffold for autocratic consolidation.
Recognizing this pattern is not alarmism; it is a necessary act of democratic vigilance.
The Engineered Collapse:
How Trump’s
Economic Sabotage
Mirrors the Authoritarian Playbook
Donald Trump’s second-term trajectory reveals a pattern that aligns disturbingly well with the ten-point authoritarian strategy of deliberate economic destabilization.
Far from being a byproduct of mismanagement, the economic distress under his leadership appears increasingly strategic an intentional dismantling of democratic guardrails to entrench personal power.
1. Systematic Middle-Class Erosion
Trump’s tax policies and deregulation efforts have disproportionately benefited the ultra-wealthy while hollowing out the middle class. The 2017 tax cuts, extended and deepened in his second term, slashed corporate taxes and capital gains while offering minimal relief to wage earners.
Simultaneously, inflationary pressures exacerbated by trade wars and deregulated monopolies have eroded real wages, leaving middle-income Americans squeezed and politically disempowered.
2. Cultivating Economic Dependency
By gutting federal agencies and redirecting relief funds through loyalty-based channels, Trump has fostered a system where access to aid is increasingly politicized.
Emergency relief programs, especially during economic downturns and climate disasters, have been used to reward red states and punish blue ones, creating a dependency matrix that mirrors autocratic patronage systems.
3. Crony Capitalism Ascendant
Independent businesses especially those in urban, progressive regions have been undermined by erratic tariffs, regulatory whiplash, and selective enforcement.
Meanwhile, Trump-aligned conglomerates and donors have received preferential treatment, from no-bid contracts to regulatory exemptions.
This consolidates economic power within a loyalist elite, echoing the oligarchic structures of illiberal regimes.
4. Chaos as a Pretext for Control
Economic instability has been weaponized to justify sweeping executive actions.
Trump’s invocation of the Insurrection Act, threats to deploy the military domestically, and repeated suggestions of suspending elections or overriding state authority all follow the classic authoritarian script: create a crisis, then claim extraordinary powers to solve it.
5. Institutional Defunding and Delegitimization
Public universities, independent media, and scientific agencies have faced budget cuts, leadership purges, and smear campaigns.
Trump’s attacks on the “fake news media,” the “deep state,” and “radical left” academics serve to delegitimize dissent and dismantle the very institutions that uphold democratic accountability.
6. Scarcity as a Political Weapon
From vaccine distribution to disaster aid, Trump’s administration has shown a willingness to withhold resources from political opponents.
This tactic not only punishes dissent but also signals to the public that survival may depend on political loyalty a hallmark of authoritarian regimes.
7. Exhaustion as Suppression
With inflation, housing insecurity, and healthcare costs spiraling, Americans are increasingly consumed by day-to-day survival.
This economic fatigue saps the energy needed for civic engagement, protest, or organizing creating a vacuum in which authoritarianism can flourish unchallenged.
8. Scapegoating and Nationalist Diversions
Trump’s rhetoric has consistently blamed immigrants, China, and “globalist elites” for America’s economic woes.
This redirection of blame stokes xenophobia and nationalism, creating a siege mentality that justifies authoritarian crackdowns and distracts from domestic sabotage.
9. Corruption and Asset Seizure
Economic downturns have enabled Trump-aligned interests to acquire distressed assets real estate, media outlets, and infrastructure at fire-sale prices.
This mirrors kleptocratic regimes where economic collapse is a tool for wealth consolidation among the ruling class.
10. Electoral Manipulation via Economic Leverage
Economic hardship has been used to suppress voter turnout, particularly in marginalized communities.
Cuts to postal services, voter roll purges, and threats to withhold federal funds from states expanding mail-in voting all point to a strategy of economic coercion to undermine electoral competition.
The best possible alternative choice for all nation passing through the past five year Japanese politic situation.😊
Simply, non Japanese people are ignorant about what is going on in Japan, and depend on one_sided opinions. They do not know her potential and how she has been working on the crux of th matters, and how terrible things have been due to the silent invasion of C country.
思ったよりはニュートラルな見方だったな
Western media never broadcasts China's tyranny. Such news outlets cannot be trusted.
Prime Minister Takaichi is not a hardliner. She is a moderate. You are just copying what the left-wing Japanese media reports.
far right ? really ?
Sounds weird ‘patriarchal democracy” but is reality. So in America there is a ‘facist with tiny democracy leftovers’?
She is a revisionist.
These are the same people that supported Kamala harris during election of her being a woman. Now look how the cameleon changing it's colors
Hello, I am a Taiwanese from Miaoli, Taiwan. On my birthday in December 1999, my wish was to participate in Our goal for the Korea summit was simple: the China-U.S. summit. We were confident we could resolve the issues. However, the President of Taiwan did not invite us and did not trust us. We hope you can do it. Thank you for your time.
I personally support her only because she is the first female Prime Minister. Other than that, she’s just a corrupt politician who only cares about the rich and big corporations.
表面しかさらってなくて、うっす薄。
右でも左でもどっちでもいいけど、しっかり取材してから話したら。
She isn't Japan's choice for leader, she was only elected by parliament.
It is a grave error to view Prime Minister Takaichi merely as a populist and a fortuitous by-product of the LDP's quest to regain popularity. Since Mr Abe's death, the LDP has failed to elect capable prime ministers and has naturally suffered repeated electoral defeats. It has only now made the right choice.
She is a realist conservative. For example, rather than introducing separate surnames for married couples, which would undermine our long-established family register system, she established many legal frameworks that enabled the widespread use of maiden names after marriage.
I am disappointed by the Western media's unanimous portrayal of Prime Minister Takaichi as a hawkish, hardline right-winger. This is probably due to their heavy reliance on left-leaning, pro-China media outlets in Japan.
She is for the establishment but the real question is HOW BLOATED IS THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT, which shares the same sentiment as MAGA. As if prior past relationships wasn't enough. This partnership with USA and Japan will be the most meaningful and true to the friendship of two world leaders! Sanae's real role model is the RIP Prime Minister. President Trump delivered a heartfelt speech!! The Welcome Monologues earlier was amazing to watch. Just pure real respectful emotions of admiration and congratulations.
He couldn't be happier to have another TrumPoo fangirl in addition to Meloni.
JPN will go down together with TrumPoo AmeriKKKa.
Click for the full episode: bit.ly/4hwALSl
Sanae Takaichi sounds really cool. ESP that heavy metal drumming talent… 🤩😃
日本の極左が言っていることをそのまま疑いもせずに本当のこととして受けとっているのはやばいね。もっと複数のソースから情報を取るべきです。
Rightwingers destroying Japan the way they have the UK…
Oh look, the 'Jewish' people on the Economist don't like it when the Japanese (or anyone, for that matter) tries to protect their culture in the face of 'globalism' trying to genocide their race out of existence. You would think the Jewish people at the economist would have learned a thing or two about genocide during WW2, but guess they haven't.
Truly evil people.
Dagestan State lost.о проблеме поиска жены и заведение детей и уже поздно и никогда и они совершают геноцид мусульман???today
Legal Conclusions of the Komei party, which was established by the cult called Soka Gakkai a.k.a. SGI in the USA.
1. From the perspective of Article 2 of the Religious Corporations Act, which defines the “purpose” of religious corporations, it is evident that Soka Gakkai’s direct or organized support for the activities of a political party (the Komeito) constitutes a clear act of deviation from its legally recognized purpose.
2. There is a strong presumption that such conduct violates Article 20, Paragraph 3 of the Japanese Constitution, which prohibits the exercise of political power by religious organizations.
3. Consequently, such actions may fall under Article 81, Item 2 of the Religious Corporations Act, which provides for the dissolution of a religious corporation that engages in activities contrary to its founding purpose.
4. If political funds were provided under the name of a religious corporation, this would constitute a violation of Article 21-3 of the Political Funds Control Act, which prohibits corporate political donations.
5. Although the 1970 “Declaration on the Separation of Religion and Politics” formally restored legal compliance, in practice, the continued organized mobilization of believers means that doubts remain as to the existence of a “quasi-political religious system.”
6. The founding funds of the Komeito Party, equivalent to about 20 million U.S. dollars in today’s value, originated from Soka Gakkai.
Political donations by religious corporations are prohibited under Article 6 of the Religious Corporations Act, and the Komeito Party was established under the direction of then cult leader Daisaku Ikeda as a means to nationalize Soka Gakkai’s religious institutions.
The founding of Komeito by Soka Gakkai was therefore an unlawful act intended to politically hijack Japan.
Don’t trust everything the Japanese media says. It’s been a big issue that the media is trying to create a negative image of her on TV and in the news. That’s also why more Japanese people are supporting her than ever.
The Economist's analysis seems accurate to me.
"Western colonialism" didn't make Japan invade Korea and China and commit the horrendous crimes to those countries. (my wife was a Korean immigrant to the US). Nonetheless, Japan's relationship with the West is critical for fending off today's Chinese and Ruzzian colonialism.
Please don't take comments seriously from "ordinary Japanese" who show strong support for Takaichi. There are many part time job offering that pays you if you post positive comments on her. You can investigate this by searching words such as Dappi and Crowdworks. The Japanese media literacy at its lowest. Sigh.
PM Takaichi Sanae is no soft touch. 1:45 summarized.
Not a right-winger in terms of USA politics. Nationalist but along thrift, national security through having Japanese military.
This guy must be just reading information from Japanese news papers and not talked to people directly because that’s what the old media (newspapers and TV news reports) are saying and rather inadequate to cover the Japanese general public as many do not subscribe and read newspapers and do not have television any more except the people in their 70’s and older.
To answer your question- nothing. Japan PM is just a game of musical chairs. Within three years another will be PM. Never mind who is PM. The civil service runs the country and they are a bunch of ultra cautious people.
She will be an impactful PM after shinzo Abe.
Conterra noit
West !beautiful lessons for Turkish military потом и меня утопили
It sounds like this guy is just repeating what Japan’s TV says — which most Japanese people don’t even trust anymore, lol.
米国は金を巻き上げるだけだけど、中国は人権、文化、土地、自然を破壊するからねぇ。中国の犬の公明党が離れたうちに自由に動かないと。日本を取り戻せるか、間に合うかどうかわからないけど。
日本の弁護士はもう中国に乗っ取られてるよ。日本人の人権どこ？になる。指名手配犯のデータを蓄積した防犯カメラも廃止になる、治安悪くなるよ。
話にならない！グローバリズムの宣伝か😂
オールドメディアはジャーナリズムの本質から乖離し、不安を煽るだけだな。
戦争を作り出したのはグローバリストだ。
話になら無い🤣🇯🇵
Leftists.
公明党が仏教政党というのは確かに正しいんだけど、一般的な仏教徒からすると相当違和感があるんだよなあ。まあ理解してもらうのは難しいでしょうが。「極右」っていうのもヨーロッパの極右政党とは相当違うわけでクオリティペーパーたるエコノミストの識者の解説を聞いてもいつも違和感しかない。まあ、はっきり言うと日本に対する偏見が隠せないなあ、と思って絶望的になっちゃう（笑）。
I'm quite sure he's reading the Economist article directly at the beginning, as I subscribe and read it too. Maybe he wrote or edited it, or it's normal Economist policy to turn articles into scripted interviews. Kind of unsubtle though.