New Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Lays Out Policy Approach in Major Speech

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:59 JST, October 25, 2025

In her first policy speech, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi heralded policies bearing her own color, conscious of conservatives’ views and making clear her standpoint of carrying on former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s approaches to foreign and security policy.

Although her Liberal Democratic Party has newly formed a coalition government with the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), the coalition does not hold a majority in either house of the Diet. Takaichi called on opposition parties to cooperate with them in realizing policies.

“I will, without fail, make the Japanese archipelago strong and prosperous, and once again elevate Japan to a higher position in the world.”

Takaichi emphasized this in her address to the plenary session of the House of Representatives, staring intently at a chamber filled with heckling.

Studding her speech with nine phrases evoking strength, including a “strong economy” and “powerful foreign and security policies,” Takaichi also presented an image of being a leader boldly tackling political challenges.

She also took pains to show her conservative political stance in the speech. Regarding constitutional revision, she called for accelerated discussions in the Diet to achieve a Diet-initiated revision proposal while setting a timeframe, saying “during my service as prime minister.”

She also referred to discussions to ensure stable continuation of the Imperial lineage, stepping into revising the Imperial House Law.

Regarding policies relating to non-Japanese residents of Japan, she advocated for reinforcing relevant measures, including by “enhancing the government’s control tower function” while stating that such efforts must be premised on “drawing a clear line against xenophobia.”

Behind her spelling out such a conservative approach are opinions spreading within the LDP that some of the formerly rock-solid support of conservative voters in Japan, who long backed LDP-led administrations, had shifted to the Democratic Party for the People (DPFP) and Sanseito under the more liberal-leaning Cabinet led by former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The calculation is that proclaiming a “return to conservatism” may help the LDP win back this lost support.

On domestic policy, she pledged to deploy fiscal stimulus strategically and give top priority to dealing with rising prices as immediate measures. She called for policies with clear timelines, such as passing a bill to abolish the provisional gasoline tax rate during the current Diet session and providing support for electricity and gas bills this winter.

Although the Takaichi Cabinet started with high approval ratings, many within the LDP worried that “if the implementation of her policies stalls, she could quickly lose momentum.”

Advancing measures against rising prices, for which it will be easier to gain support from opposition parties, helps to create an expectation that, as an official of the Prime Minister’s Office put it, “the administration will be able to sustain people’s expectations that it is as good as its word.”

Another part of her speech showed consideration for her party’s new coalition partner, the JIP. Regarding the “sub-capital plan,” which the JIP considers a nonnegotiable condition for coalition participation, the prime minister stated she will “expedite discussions on the responsibilities and functions of the capital and sub-capital,” drawing applause from JIP lawmakers.

On the other hand, she did not refer to certain JIP-favored policies that would require significant time to implement, such as “bringing the consumption tax on foods to zero” and reducing the number of Diet members, both of which are explicitly stated in the coalition agreement. A senior JIP member said, “If they fail to keep their promises, we’ll simply dissolve the coalition.”

As the LDP is a minority ruling party, securing opposition cooperation is essential for passing budget bills and legislation.

Takaichi’s deliberate reference, in her speech, to further raising the “annual income barrier” — the income threshold for the imposition of income tax — is “also aimed at retaining the support of the DPFP, which advocates this policy,” a senior LDP official has said.

With an unstable governing foundation, building a cooperative relationship with opposition parties will be essential for the LDP in deliberations at the extraordinary Diet session.

In concluding her address, Takaichi cited a passage from a 7th-century code of moral precepts for the ruling class called the 17-Article Constitution, issued by the regent Shotoku Taishi, as a signal of her willingness to compromise with opposition parties.

“Politics is not an operation of making arbitrary decisions, but of discussing together, grappling with questions together, and deciding together. I will engage sincerely with all parties.”