How Japan’s Leader Rescued Her Party From the Abyss

“Last summer, Japan’s long-dominant political force, the Liberal Democratic Party, faced an existential crisis. Plagued by scandal, it had suffered a series of electoral defeats so devastating that its leader, Japan’s prime minister, was forced to resign,” the New York Times reports.

“Then, just as the political obituaries were being written, the Liberal Democrats found a savior: Sanae Takaichi, a veteran conservative lawmaker who in October became the first woman to serve as Japan’s prime minister.”

“Ms. Takaichi, 64, spoke plainly and energetically — sometimes with Trumpian flourishes — about immigration, taxes and the high cost of living. She had a knack for connecting with young people: quoting lines from manga, raving about the Hanshin Tigers baseball team and the hard rock band B’z, and speaking candidly about the stresses of choosing her wardrobe when she took her place on the global stage.”

“On Sunday, only 110 days into her tenure, Ms. Takaichi achieved what had seemed impossible only a few months ago: the biggest electoral victory in the L.D.P.’s 71-year history.”