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    "parsed_content": "Sanae Takaichi will need to make sure she retains the confidence of bond investors already nervous about fiscal sustainability \u00a9 Franck Robichon\/POOL\/EPA\/ShutterstockThe editorial boardPublishedFeb 9 202628Print this pageUnlock the Editor\u2019s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Sanae Takaichi has made history again. Less than four months after becoming Japan\u2019s first female prime minister, she has secured for her Liberal Democratic Party the largest ever majority in the country\u2019s lower house of parliament. Sunday\u2019s stunning general election landslide gives Takaichi a personal mandate even more powerful than any won by her mentor, the late prime minister Shinzo Abe. The LDP\u2019s record 316 seats in the 465-seat House of Representatives will give it tight control of parliamentary business, the ability to over-rule the less powerful upper house on legislation and an opportunity to launch a push to change Japan\u2019s US-authored constitution.Now comes the hard part. Voters who delivered Takaichi this triumph will expect her to make real headway in addressing its pressing fiscal, economic, demographic and geopolitical tasks.Constitutional change is an issue dear to her, as it was to Abe, but she should be careful not to focus on it at the expense of more urgent matters. There is nothing intrinsically unreasonable about wanting to amend a constitution drawn up by Japan\u2019s conquerors in the 1940s, and doing so would demonstrate the nation\u2019s ability to evolve. But the LDP\u2019s desire to tinker with the \u201cpeace clause\u201d to formally recognise Japan\u2019s Self-Defense Forces, and to give the prime minister potentially sweeping powers in times of emergency, is potentially deeply divisive.Any change to the constitution would also require two-thirds support in parliament\u2019s upper house, where the LDP currently lacks even a majority, and the backing of a majority of voters \u2014 high hurdles that suggest Takaichi would be wise not to rush.There are other areas where she can move faster, including her welcome plans to increase defence spending and a possible easing of controls on the sale of weapons to allies and partners. Such moves should help reduce Tokyo\u2019s dependence for security on an unreliable US. Ongoing diplomatic friction with China clearly did little political damage to Takaichi, who is right to assert Japan\u2019s interest in regional stability. But she should try to avoid any unnecessary provocation towards Beijing, and refrain from visiting the controversial Yasukuni shrine to Japan\u2019s war dead.The prime minister\u2019s plans to direct government spending more towards promising growth sectors require more detail. Her pledge of increased support for caregivers is welcome, though she could do more to promote women\u2019s economic role \u2014 not least given her personal demonstration of how a talented female can shake up a stuffy male-dominated sector. She is right to seek to make government spending more predictable with multiyear budget measures. But she will need to make sure she retains the confidence of bond investors already nervous about fiscal sustainability. She might sensibly rethink plans for a two-year consumption tax exemption for food sales.Takaichi should also tread carefully on plans to tighten laws on foreigners in Japan, a reflection of public anxiety about the impact of record immigration and inward tourism. Measures such as greater support for foreign residents to learn Japanese, faster processing of refugee claims and controls on land acquisition are reasonable. But she should not let her tone become hostile, given Japan\u2019s real need for immigrants to soften the impact of population ageing and decline.In her first months in office, Takaichi has shown a generally sure political touch. The stunning pay-off of her gamble on a snap election shows the national thirst for fresh and decisive leadership. Despite her majority, though, she will still have to work hard to keep the country with her. This is certainly no time for hubris.Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2026. All rights reserved.Reuse this content (opens in new window) CommentsJump to comments section\nFollow the topics in this article\nThe editorial board\nAdd to myFT\nThe FT View\nAdd to myFT\nJapanese politics & policy\nAdd to myFT\nJapanese economy\nAdd to myFT\nSanae Takaichi\nAdd to myFT\nPromoted ContentExplainerJapanese politics & policyBank of JapanJapanese politics & policyAsia-Pacific equitiesFT News Briefing podcast13 min listenJapanese politics & policyJapanese politics & policyFT News Briefing podcast13 min listen\nFollow the topics in this article\nThe editorial board\nAdd to myFT\nThe FT View\nAdd to myFT\nJapanese politics & policy\nAdd to myFT\nJapanese economy\nAdd to myFT\nSanae Takaichi\nAdd to myFT",
    "ai_headline": "Not specified",
    "ai_simplified_title": "Sanae Takaichi Faces Challenges After Election Victory",
    "ai_excerpt": "Following her election victory, Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi faces challenges in fiscal sustainability, constitutional change, and diplomatic relations. The editorial board offers advice on her priorities, including economic policies and foreign relations. The article emphasizes the need for decisive leadership and avoiding hubris.",
    "ai_subject_tags": [
        "Japan",
        "Politics",
        "Economy",
        "Sanae Takaichi",
        "Foreign Policy",
        "Fiscal Policy",
        "Constitutional Reform"
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    "ai_context_type": "Analysis",
    "ai_context_details": {
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        "perspective": "neutral",
        "audience": "general",
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