Japan’s Takaichi forges historic election win

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s coalition swept to a historic election win on Sunday, paving the way for promised tax cuts that have spooked financial markets and military spending aimed at countering China. The conservative Takaichi, Japan’s first female leader who says she is inspired by Britain’s “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher, delivered 316 seats of the 465 in parliament’s lower house for her Liberal Democratic Party, its best ever result. With coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, known as Ishin, Takaichi controls 352 seats and a supermajority of two-thirds of seats, easing her legislative agenda as she can override the upper chamber, where she does not have a majority. Winter election brings blizzard of votes “This election involved major policy shifts — particularly a major shift in economic and fiscal policy, as well as strengthening security policy,” Takaichi said in a television interview as the results rolled in. “These are policies that have drawn a great deal of opposition … If we have received the public’s support, then we truly must tackle the

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