Elena Korshenko in Sidecar:
When Sanae Takaichi took over as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) last October, the party, which has dominated Japan’s postwar politics, was mired in one of its deepest crises. The LDP was riven by a major slush fund corruption scandal and facing widespread criticism of its economic policies, blamed for Japan’s decades of stagnant real wages and lacklustre growth. Sharpening this plight, the country has suffered a sustained cost-of-living crisis since 2022, as global commodity prices surged following the supply chain disruptions from the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The situation was worsened by a weak yen and supply shortages at home; the price of rice nearly doubled. Successive liberal prime ministers appeared too weak to tackle these issues, and unable to fill the leadership vacuum left by Abe Shinzo’s assassination in 2022. Public disaffection led to an exodus of the LDP’s core conservative electorate to insurgent far-right challengers – the right-populist Sanseito most notably. In the 2024 Lower House and 2025 Upper House elections, the party was punished with a historic loss of majorities in both chambers.
Takaichi’s victory in the ensuing leadership contest – held under the slogan ‘#Change, LDP’ – was largely due to her reputation as a hardline conservative, which appealed to the party’s rank-and-file. It immediately prompted the exit of the centrist Komeito, the LDP’s traditional partner since 1999, from the ruling coalition, alarmed by her hawkish views and lenient stance on corruption.
More here.
Enjoying the content on 3QD? Help keep us going by donating now.