Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the “Empress of Reiwa,” is hiding “insecurity and loneliness” behind her “Noh smile

Despite the overwhelming victory…

Squinting her eyes, the corners of her mouth turn up to show her white teeth. On the afternoon of February 18, before she was to be nominated as prime minister, she smiled and said, “Thanks,” in response to a call from FRIDAY, but this time she did not smile in the usual way. But on this day, it was not the usual mended smile. But on this day, his smile was not the usual mended one, but rather one that lacked emotion (see photo).

In the February lower house election, the Liberal Democratic Party won 316 seats, the most in the postwar period. The popularity of Takaichi has also led to the birth of 66 new Diet members, increasing his presence in the party. While Ms. Takaichi is striving to become the “Empress of Reiwa,” behind her smile, there are many concerns swirling around her.

In order to win the lower house election, she has declared that she will aim to achieve a 0% consumption tax on foodstuffs by the end of fiscal year 2014. Furthermore, at a summit meeting with U.S. President Trump (79) last year, he brought forward an increase in defense spending to 2% of GDP. The massive purchase of military equipment for “Trump defense spending” has begun. Koichi Kakutani, a political journalist, said, “The increase in defense spending will amount to 1 trillion yen.

To make up for the over 1 trillion yen increase in defense spending, corporate and cigarette taxes will be raised this April, and income taxes will be raised next year. Under such circumstances, will it be possible to achieve zero consumption tax on foodstuffs by March ’27, for which the source of revenue is unknown?

Mr. Takaichi is trying to set up a national council to study the issue, but the opposition parties are pushing back. If they continue to wrangle and bring it to the end of time, saying that it will not be ready in time for the passage of the new fiscal year’s budget, they can say, ‘I tried, but the opposition parties were against it. For example, they could have discussed the issue at the Finance and Monetary Affairs Committee, where all parties participate, but they did not do so. I hope it doesn’t end up being just a pose. ……”

It is still fresh in our minds that Takaichi himself opposed the consumption tax cut in his answer to the House of Representatives last fall, saying that it would take more than a year to renovate the cash register system.

A proposal that angered Aso.

On February 24, a new allegation surfaced against Mr. Takaichi. It was discovered that he had sent catalog gifts worth a total of 9.45 million yen to all LDP members who had won election to the House of Representatives. Mr. Takaichi said, “I tried to send them gifts that would be useful for their activities, but I didn’t have time to choose. He tried to put out the fire by saying, “I used my own money.” However, the possibility of violating the Political Funds Control Law is being discussed.

There are other concerns as well. There is another concern: the rift that has developed between Mr. Takaichi and Taro Aso, 85, the vice president.

The day after the election, Mr. Takaichi approached Mr. Aso about becoming Speaker of the House of Representatives. If he became Speaker, he would have to leave the party factions and factions and would not be able to meddle in political affairs. Mr. Aso is said to have grown distrustful, asking, ‘Who has been supporting me? He angered Mr. Aso by dissolving the House of Representatives without consulting him, and added fuel to the fire by approaching the Speaker. He could have done more, and this only caused resentment.

As with the catalog gift issue, it is said that the party’s internal management is becoming compromised because of Mr. Takaichi’s “tone-deafness to political affairs,” who is not good at getting along with others.

The news of the party chairman’s request came as the biggest shock to Nagata-cho since Junichiro Koizumi, 84, forced former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, 101, to retire from the party.

It is said that Mr. Takaichi intends to replace Mr. Aso’s brother-in-law, Shunichi Suzuki, 72, as secretary-general in the party’s September executive reshuffle. It is likely that he wants to replace him with someone who can do as he wishes. Recently, Mr. Takaichi rarely answers phone calls from party officials.

He does not listen to those around him and has no close aides who can negotiate with the opposition or within the party. Under such circumstances, can he really find answers to the numerous difficult issues by cutting Mr. Aso off?

The issue of “politics and money” has emerged in addition to his isolation within the party. The troubled Mr. Takaichi is relying on the executives of the “former Abe faction” who were sidelined in the past because of politics and money.

He has selected Yasutoshi Nishimura (63), who was punished in a backroom money case, to head the election campaign committee, Hirokazu Matsuno (63) to head the organizing campaign headquarters, and Kōichi Hagiuda (62) to continue as acting secretary-general. The party’s internal base is weak, but they probably do not want to be piggybacked by Aso and not be able to keep their heads above water. However, there are voices of discontent within the party at the stance of reviving factional politics without explanation.

What are the “policies that divide national opinion,” which was the main cause of the election? One would think that it would be an in-depth measure against high prices, but the only thing that has come out of Takaichi’s mouth is talk of revising the Constitution. It seems that Takaichi himself has not found a solution to the high prices of commodities. Since he gained support through the “popularity contest,” if he fails to meet the expectations of the people, he will probably fall apart quickly.

Will the day come when Mr. Takaichi will gain true support from the people and smile? The true value of Mr. Takaichi is being questioned.

From the March 13-20, 2026 issue of FRIDAY