Takaichi Vows to Build ‘Strong Economy’ via Key Investments

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:51 JST, November 4, 2025

Japan will intensify public-private investment in fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, shipbuilding and quantum technology in order to build a “strong economy,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tuesday at the first meeting of Japan’s growth strategy headquarters. The prime minister is the chair of the headquarters.

The headquarters serves as the command center for the Takaichi Cabinet’s economic policies and will formulate a new growth strategy by next summer.

At the inaugural meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office, Takaichi said the government would spend strategically based on a “responsible, proactive fiscal policy.”

She stressed that the government wants to “increase tax revenue without raising tax rates,” namely by strengthening the supply base and boosting income and profits.

According to government officials, 17 strategic fields will be targeted, including the defense industry, aerospace, information and communications, and the marine sector. Takaichi will appoint a minister for each field who will collaborate with other ministers to develop concrete measures to promote investment and regulatory reform, among other steps.

The government also aims to expand demand through government procurement in such sectors as defense, while laying out measures for broad issues such as startups and human resource development.

Takaichi ordered the headquarters to formulate “public-private investment roadmaps” for each strategic field. The roadmaps will include investment details, timing, and target spending amounts, which will be used for multi-year budgets. The government hopes to attract private investment by presenting mid- to long-term outlooks rather than for a single year.

The government decided Tuesday to establish a growth strategy panel, composed of experts and ministers, under the headquarters. Working in coordination with the headquarters, the panel will consider specific measures to be included in the comprehensive economic measures to be drafted this year.