Takaichi: The Japanese Prime Minister America Has Been Waiting For

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling coalition is likely to win big in Japan’s lower house election on February 8.   

Hopefully, Washington recognizes what it has with Takaichi.

Among major US allies, Japan is the only one that is taking its defense seriously and not cozying up to the Chinese communists.

Since I first went to Japan in 1993, Japan has had 19 prime ministers. Takaichi could be one of the very best – even better than the late Shinzo Abe.

For one thing, she cares about “regular” Japanese, and seems to understand the plight of Japan’s long-suffering citizens – who are fleeced with high taxes and low salaries, seemingly existing to service Japan’s elite class and big business. 

But that’s a domestic issue. 

More important for Washington, Takaichi is one of the very few Japanese prime ministers in the last 30 years to take office with a decent knowledge of national security and what Japan needs to do to defend itself.