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Sanae Takaichi

(高市早苗)

Sanae Takaichi

高市早苗

The latest news and top stories on Sanae Takaichi. A long-serving member of the Japanese House of Representatives, she has held numerous significant cabinet roles. Her past positions include Minister of State for Economic Security, Internal Affairs and Communications, Science and Technology Policy, and Youth Affairs and Gender Equality. Known for her staunch conservative views and close alliance with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi has focused on strengthening Japan’s economic security, cybersecurity and national defence. She has also chaired the LDP’s Policy Research Council and recently led a commission on public safety and cybercrime. Takaichi has twice contended for the LDP leadership.

Lunar New Year

Video | Chinese tourists have a new favourite country this Lunar New Year

Arrivals by Chinese tourists to South Korea are expected to rise by 52% in February 2026.

15 Feb 2026 - 8:02PM

US-China relations

Rubio, Wang Yi manage US-China rivalry in Munich as underlying tensions linger

14 Feb 2026 - 11:00PMvideocam

China-Japan relations

Tokyo releases captain of Chinese fishing boat found in Japanese EEZ

14 Feb 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

US-China relations

Future of China-US ties rests on Washington’s will, Wang Yi says in Munich

At Munich Security Conference, Chinese foreign minister also accuses Japan of ‘angry ambitions for the invasion and colonisation of Taiwan’.

14 Feb 2026 - 10:43PMvideocam

Japan

Opinion | Takaichi’s anti-China stance won’t bolster Japan’s security

As the US-led order unravels, the Japanese prime minister’s militaristic approach goes against the global shift towards cooperation with China.

14 Feb 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

China-Japan relations

Beijing and Tokyo in maritime stand-off after Japan seizes Chinese boat, captain

Beijing urges Tokyo to protect Chinese crew members’ rights after incident off southwestern Nagasaki prefecture.

13 Feb 2026 - 8:26PMvideocam

North Korea

Why Takaichi’s landslide victory in Japan has North Korea on edge

North Korea has accused Japan of resurrecting its wartime ambitions by expanding its defence and pursuing security alliances.

13 Feb 2026 - 5:53PMvideocam

Japan

Japan seizes Chinese fishing boat off Nagasaki, arrests skipper

This is the first time since 2022 that Tokyo’s fisheries agency has seized a Chinese fishing vessel.

13 Feb 2026 - 10:54AMvideocam

Japan

Is Japan’s US$550-billion Trump ‘signing bonus’ a deal with strings attached?

Tokyo races to fund US projects to keep a 15 per cent tariff rate, as critics question if the ‘signing bonus’ is a gift or a high-interest loan.

12 Feb 2026 - 4:46PMvideocam

Japan

Macroscope | Japan will soon learn how far Takaichi can ride her luck

While Japan is unlikely to have its own Liz Truss moment, high debt levels and an empowered populist in charge are still reasons for concern.

12 Feb 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

Japan

A doomed experiment? Japan’s opposition struggles to regroup amid crushing loss

A 124-seat collapse has left the Centrist Reform Alliance in tatters, with observers calling the defeat a ‘debacle of epic proportions’.

12 Feb 2026 - 5:25PM

Yoshihiko Noda (left) and Tetsuo Saito announce their resignation as co-leaders of the opposition Centrist Reform Alliance at a press conference in Tokyo on Monday. Photo: Xinhua

Japan

Editorial | Takaichi’s election mandate won’t give her leverage with China

The Japanese prime minister’s hawkish stance will only further inflame tensions over Taiwan – and popularity at home won’t temper Beijing’s response.

12 Feb 2026 - 6:45AM

Japan

Opinion | Will Japan’s election result trigger a security spiral with China?

The result of Japan’s election has altered Tokyo’s domestic political calculus while raising the stakes for regional stability.

12 Feb 2026 - 8:38AMvideocam

Japan

Japan’s wage squeeze undermines Takaichi’s ‘trickle down’ plans

Fresh labour ministry figures show the cost of living crisis is deepening, as inflation continues to outpace salary increases for workers.

11 Feb 2026 - 7:25PM

Shoppers walk through the Nakano area of Tokyo on Sunday. Inflation-adjusted wages have fallen for the past four years in Japan. Photo: AFP

China-Japan relations

How Takaichi’s big win in Japan may complicate Beijing’s Taiwan policy

Taiwan’s opposition leader warns against ‘being reduced to a pawn in strategic competition’, urges efforts to prevent conflict in strait.

11 Feb 2026 - 4:31PMvideocam

The Liberal Democratic Party, led by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, has secured a two-thirds supermajority in the lower house of parliament after Sunday’s snap election. Photo: AFP

South Korea

What Takaichi’s landslide victory could mean for Japan-South Korea ties

Japan’s conservative tilt has revived South Korean concerns of more nationalist policies that could reopen historical and security wounds.

11 Feb 2026 - 5:59PMvideocam

SCMP Highlights

Indonesia’s inner circle, Japan revives imperial army ranks: 7 Asia highlights

From insight into Jakarta politics to debate over Malaysian sultan’s comment, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

10 Feb 2026 - 12:30PM

China trade

Businesses to ‘keep doing it’ as Japan-China trade stays defiant after election

Neither side likely to want escalation in months-long dispute but near-term outlook uncertain, analysts say.

10 Feb 2026 - 10:24AMvideocam

The dispute between Beijing and Tokyo erupted on November 7, 2025, after Takaichi became the first Japanese prime minister to explicitly state that any use of force by Beijing against Taiwan could be a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, suggesting that the country’s military could intervene. Photo: Reuters

China-Japan relations

Why China is worried Japan election may prompt change to pacifist constitution

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has already suggested she wants to revise the clause that renounces the use of force to settle disputes.

9 Feb 2026 - 10:33PMvideocam

Japan

Video | Japan’s PM Takaichi secures historic supermajority

The results set a record for the party since its founding in 1955, surpassing the 300 seats secured in 1986.

9 Feb 2026 - 7:51PM

Japan

Japan’s Takaichi won the election, but at what cost to the LDP?

The ruling party’s embrace of a ‘single patriarchal value system’ could paradoxically weaken its long-term dominance, analysts say.

9 Feb 2026 - 7:55PMvideocam

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, speaks to the media at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo on Sunday. Photo: EPA

China-Japan relations

Takaichi wins election landslide amid China dispute

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won a supermajority in the nation’s lower house, even after comments about Taiwan triggered economic reprisals from China.

9 Feb 2026 - 5:25PM

Asia housing and property

The View | Asian property markets’ supply constraints are a double-edged sword

The narrow pool of high-quality assets benefits landlords and affluent investors but poses a challenge to prospective buyers and renters.

9 Feb 2026 - 4:31PMvideocam

Hong Kong stock market

Nikkei smashes record as Takaichi’s landslide victory ignites ‘Japan is back’ trade

Election result revives risk appetite after global tumult, as investors anticipate Japan will increase public spending to sustain growth.

9 Feb 2026 - 3:54PM

Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks hit 1-week high as Japan election helps sentiment

The election results clear the way for more fiscal stimulus, reinforcing a bullish outlook for stocks.

9 Feb 2026 - 4:41PM

Japan

Japan bear intrusions driven by fruit, not hunger, study finds

Japan’s bears enter towns for leftover crops, not starvation – revealing an urgent need for residents to clear fallen fruit from farms.

8 Feb 2026 - 7:49PM

Japan

Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’ Takaichi sweeps election with historic win

Sanae Takaichi’s coalition secures 352 seats in parliament’s lower house, handing the prime minister a supermajority.

10 Feb 2026 - 8:29AMvideocam

122

Banking & finance

Macroscope | Trump-Takaichi meddling in finance spells more turbulence ahead

The two leaders’ moves into economics despite their lack of knowledge threaten to further destabilise global finance and inflate debt levels.

7 Feb 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

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Sanae Takaichi

(高市早苗)

.css-rcruog{color:#C79A00;}Video | Chinese tourists have a new favourite country this Lunar New Year

Arrivals by Chinese tourists to South Korea are expected to rise by 52% in February 2026.

Rubio, Wang Yi manage US-China rivalry in Munich as underlying tensions linger

Tokyo releases captain of Chinese fishing boat found in Japanese EEZ

Future of China-US ties rests on Washington’s will, Wang Yi says in Munich

At Munich Security Conference, Chinese foreign minister also accuses Japan of ‘angry ambitions for the invasion and colonisation of Taiwan’.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Takaichi’s anti-China stance won’t bolster Japan’s security

As the US-led order unravels, the Japanese prime minister’s militaristic approach goes against the global shift towards cooperation with China.

Beijing and Tokyo in maritime stand-off after Japan seizes Chinese boat, captain

Beijing urges Tokyo to protect Chinese crew members’ rights after incident off southwestern Nagasaki prefecture.

Why Takaichi’s landslide victory in Japan has North Korea on edge

North Korea has accused Japan of resurrecting its wartime ambitions by expanding its defence and pursuing security alliances.

Japan seizes Chinese fishing boat off Nagasaki, arrests skipper

This is the first time since 2022 that Tokyo’s fisheries agency has seized a Chinese fishing vessel.

Is Japan’s US$550-billion Trump ‘signing bonus’ a deal with strings attached?

Tokyo races to fund US projects to keep a 15 per cent tariff rate, as critics question if the ‘signing bonus’ is a gift or a high-interest loan.

Macroscope | Japan will soon learn how far Takaichi can ride her luck

While Japan is unlikely to have its own Liz Truss moment, high debt levels and an empowered populist in charge are still reasons for concern.

A doomed experiment? Japan’s opposition struggles to regroup amid crushing loss

A 124-seat collapse has left the Centrist Reform Alliance in tatters, with observers calling the defeat a ‘debacle of epic proportions’.

Editorial | Takaichi’s election mandate won’t give her leverage with China

The Japanese prime minister’s hawkish stance will only further inflame tensions over Taiwan – and popularity at home won’t temper Beijing’s response.

Opinion | Will Japan’s election result trigger a security spiral with China?

The result of Japan’s election has altered Tokyo’s domestic political calculus while raising the stakes for regional stability.

Japan’s wage squeeze undermines Takaichi’s ‘trickle down’ plans

Fresh labour ministry figures show the cost of living crisis is deepening, as inflation continues to outpace salary increases for workers.

How Takaichi’s big win in Japan may complicate Beijing’s Taiwan policy

Taiwan’s opposition leader warns against ‘being reduced to a pawn in strategic competition’, urges efforts to prevent conflict in strait.

What Takaichi’s landslide victory could mean for Japan-South Korea ties

Japan’s conservative tilt has revived South Korean concerns of more nationalist policies that could reopen historical and security wounds.

Indonesia’s inner circle, Japan revives imperial army ranks: 7 Asia highlights

From insight into Jakarta politics to debate over Malaysian sultan’s comment, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Businesses to ‘keep doing it’ as Japan-China trade stays defiant after election

Neither side likely to want escalation in months-long dispute but near-term outlook uncertain, analysts say.

Why China is worried Japan election may prompt change to pacifist constitution

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has already suggested she wants to revise the clause that renounces the use of force to settle disputes.

Video | Japan’s PM Takaichi secures historic supermajority

The results set a record for the party since its founding in 1955, surpassing the 300 seats secured in 1986.

Japan’s Takaichi won the election, but at what cost to the LDP?

The ruling party’s embrace of a ‘single patriarchal value system’ could paradoxically weaken its long-term dominance, analysts say.

Takaichi wins election landslide amid China dispute

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won a supermajority in the nation’s lower house, even after comments about Taiwan triggered economic reprisals from China.

The View | Asian property markets’ supply constraints are a double-edged sword

The narrow pool of high-quality assets benefits landlords and affluent investors but poses a challenge to prospective buyers and renters.

Nikkei smashes record as Takaichi’s landslide victory ignites ‘Japan is back’ trade

Election result revives risk appetite after global tumult, as investors anticipate Japan will increase public spending to sustain growth.

Hong Kong stocks hit 1-week high as Japan election helps sentiment

The election results clear the way for more fiscal stimulus, reinforcing a bullish outlook for stocks.

Japan bear intrusions driven by fruit, not hunger, study finds

Japan’s bears enter towns for leftover crops, not starvation – revealing an urgent need for residents to clear fallen fruit from farms.

Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’ Takaichi sweeps election with historic win

Sanae Takaichi’s coalition secures 352 seats in parliament’s lower house, handing the prime minister a supermajority.

Macroscope | Trump-Takaichi meddling in finance spells more turbulence ahead

The two leaders’ moves into economics despite their lack of knowledge threaten to further destabilise global finance and inflate debt levels.

Video | Chinese tourists have a new favourite country this Lunar New Year

Opinion | Takaichi’s anti-China stance won’t bolster Japan’s security