Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is experiencing a political honeymoon with impressive approval ratings, but storm clouds are gathering as tensions with China escalate and inflation threatens to burst her popularity bubble.
The Delicate Balancing Act
Fresh from charming former US President Donald Trump during his visit to Japan, where she gifted him a golf club once used by assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi now faces a much tougher challenge: managing deteriorating relations with China while keeping domestic inflation in check.
The prime minister, who admits to sleeping only two to four hours per night, has seen her approval rating soar to 72 percent according to a recent Yomiuri survey. Her popularity has even extended to her fashion choices, with her handbag from a 145-year-old Japanese leather goods maker going viral and flooding the company with orders.
China Relations Take Dangerous Turn
The situation took a dramatic turn when Takaichi made unplanned remarks in parliament suggesting that a Taiwan "emergency" could threaten Japan's existence, implying potential military intervention. The comments sparked immediate backlash from China, with one diplomat threatening to sever Takaichi's "dirty neck."
The Chinese government responded by advising citizens against travel to Japan and reportedly reimposing a ban on Japanese seafood imports. This represents a significant economic blow, given that Chinese tourists constitute the largest visitor cohort to Japan.
"I hope that Japan–China relations will gradually move in a better direction," said Kozue Otsuka, a 50-year-old housewife who spoke with AFP at a festival for business owners seeking good fortune.
Shigeru Fujita, 78, who runs a gardening company, expressed concern about the prime minister's remarks: "What I am worried about, most of all, is the (prime) minister's remarks. China got really agitated because of that."
Economic Pressures Mount
As if the diplomatic crisis weren't enough, Takaichi is also battling domestic economic challenges. She recently unveiled an economic stimulus package worth $135 billion, including cash handouts to parents and energy subsidies. The move aims to avoid the fate of her predecessor Shigeru Ishiba, who suffered election defeats partly due to public anger over rising prices.
Japan continues to struggle with high rice prices, and inflation remains a key concern among voters. Despite creating a cost-cutting initiative and promising "responsible" fiscal policy, concerns abound that the stimulus will add to Japan's already colossal debt.
Financial services employee Kazuo Kaitsuka, 75, captured the public sentiment: "Ordinary people are having it tough these days. I worry future generations might have to deal with the consequences (of the debt)."
Expert Analysis and Future Outlook
Analyst Margarita Estevez-Abe from Syracuse University's Maxwell School warned that China holds "so many economic cards to punish Japan, but Japan has none." Potential Chinese countermeasures could include restricting exports of rare earths to Japan or imposing curbs on Japanese exports to China.
"Takaichi's appointment was a very risky choice for the China-Japan relationship at a very delicate economic moment for Japan," Estevez-Abe told AFP. "Starting a fight against someone stronger with no prior planning is no leadership."
Tobias Harris, an analyst at Japan Foresight, questioned how "durable" Takaichi's high approval ratings might be. He noted that while tensions with China haven't hurt her popularity initially, prolonged conflict could eventually weigh on her political standing.
The stimulus package has contributed to a slide in the yen, which will increase Japan's substantial import bill and potentially push inflation even higher. This creates a delicate balancing act for the prime minister, who must navigate both international diplomacy and domestic economic pressures while maintaining her political momentum.
