Japan’s Takaichi wins big in snap election

Over the weekend, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party secured a landslide victory in the lower house election. Together with its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, the ruling bloc cleared the 350-seat threshold to secure a two-thirds super-majority. The question now is not whether the government will deploy more stimulus, but whether Japan can deliver credible fiscal choices while the Bank of Japan (BOJ) manages inflation and macro risks exist. A strong mandate from her party gives the government options and shifts the focus away from short‑term populist...