“Having a good security relationship with the United States is of utmost importance for the Japanese as a whole,” said Professor Seijiro Takeshita of the University of Shizuoka, highlighting the strategic stakes ahead of Japan’s national election.
Speaking to AnewZ, Takeshita stressed that China’s growing pressure on Tokyo has reinforced public demand for a strong U.S. security umbrella, underlining one of the central challenges facing Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
“The threats are constant, both physical and indirect,” Takeshita added, noting that Japan’s reliance on U.S. forces is widely seen as critical to maintaining national security amid tensions in East Asia.
Takeshita also addressed Takaichi’s economic strategy, which aims to tackle soaring living costs and broader financial pressures through an expansionary fiscal policy.
“That’s a million-dollar question,” he said.
“Her approach may make people worry that fiscal discipline isn’t being maintained, potentially weakening the yen," the expert added, stressing that Japan imports nearly all its oil and has a food self-sufficiency rate of only 38%.
Takeshita described the possible fall of yen as "a double whammy.”
Despite these risks, Takeshita argued that prioritising economic growth over strict debt control aligns with sound economic theory and mirrors lessons from past crises in Europe.
“From that point of view, she’s taking the right move,” he said, adding that patience is key as voters wait to see the effects of her policies.
The dual pressures of security and the economy are shaping Takaichi’s campaign as polls suggest her coalition could secure a decisive victory, but Takeshita cautions that managing both domestic economic concerns and international threats will be critical for her success.
Japan’s House of Representatives was formally dissolved on 23 January, triggering a snap general election scheduled for 8 February to fill all 465 seats in the chamber.
The unusually brief campaign, with the official contest starting only days after the dissolution, is one of the shortest in Japan’s post‑war history and reflects Takaichi’s bid to secure a direct public mandate for her economic and security agenda amid rising living costs and geopolitical tensions.
Takaichi, who became Japan’s first female prime minister in October 2025 and leads a coalition between her Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party, said the early election would let voters judge her leadership and policy approach, while critics argue the timing could disrupt parliamentary business, including budget deliberations.
Eight vehicles caught fire on Friday (6 February) outside a wholesale fish market in Hong Kong, sending thick black smoke over parts of the Kowloon pe...
U.S. and Iranian delegations on Friday (6 February) started Oman-mediated indirect talks focusing on the nuclear issue, Iran's state broadcaster said....
A senior Russian officer, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, was rushed to hospital after being shot in Moscow on Friday (6 February), officials sa...
The U.S. military said it has carried out a strike Thursday (5 February) on a vessel allegedly engaged in narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific, ac...
“Having a good security relationship with the United States is of utmost importance for the Japanese as a whole,” said Professor Seijiro Takeshita...
If Fars News Agency is to be believed, Iran's neighbours should be on alert. The agency, which reportedly mirrors the views of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), warned Azerbaijan and Türkiye that if the U.S. and Israel attack Iran, they will become "legitimate targets for Tehran."
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 6th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
France’s “absolute priority” remains the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Thursday (5 February) during talks with his Syrian counterpart in Damascus, as Paris reassesses its counter-terrorism strategy.
U.S. President Donald Trump gave his “complete and total endorsement” of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday (5 February) ahead of Japan’s national election on Sunday, backing the country’s first female premier as she seeks a fresh mandate for controversial spending plans.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has deployed one of its largest ballistic missiles at a newly unveiled underground base on Wednesday (3 February), just two days ahead of mediated nuclear talks with the United States in Muscat, Oman.
Rivers and reservoirs across Spain and Portugal were on the verge of overflowing on Wednesday as a new weather front pounded the Iberian peninsula, compounding damage from last week's Storm Kristin.
Morocco has evacuated more than 100,000 people from four provinces after heavy rainfall triggered flash floods across several northern regions, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.
Uzbekistan is accelerating plans to expand uranium production and deepen international nuclear cooperation, positioning the sector as a pillar of long-term industrial growth and resource security.
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators began the second round of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday (4 February).
Eight vehicles caught fire on Friday (6 February) outside a wholesale fish market in Hong Kong, sending thick black smoke over parts of the Kowloon peninsula, before firefighters brought the blaze under control, authorities said.
U.S. and Iranian delegations on Friday (6 February) started Oman-mediated indirect talks focusing on the nuclear issue, Iran's state broadcaster said.
A senior Russian officer, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, was rushed to hospital after being shot in Moscow on Friday (6 February), officials said.
The U.S. military said it has carried out a strike Thursday (5 February) on a vessel allegedly engaged in narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific, according to the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), killing two people.
Indonesia and Australia have signed a security treaty on Friday (6 February) that commits them to consult each other if either country is threatened, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment