Podcasts · State of Play

Emergency Episode: PM Takaichi's Landslide Victory in Japan

10 Feb 2026 · 18 min

Nick Szechenyi joins Will to analyze the geopolitical consequences of Sanae Takaichi's resounding victory in the February 8 Japanese general elections. They discuss what the prime minister's historic supermajority in the lower house of parliament means for Japan's defense spending, tensions with China, ties with the United States, and Takaichi's broader strategy.

• Yuko Nakano and Nicholas Szechenyi, "Takaichi Dominates Japan’s Lower House Election," CSIS, February 9, 2026. • Kristi Govella, Charles McClean, and Nicholas Szechenyi, "Inside Japan’s High-Stakes Snap Election," CSIS, February 9, 2026.

Links in the notes 2

• https://www.csis.org/analysis/takaichi-dominates-japans-lower-house-election
• https://www.csis.org/events/inside-japans-high-stakes-snap-election