The US President is expected to visit Japan on Monday – just a few days after Takaichi took office. Around 60,000 US military personnel are stationed in the country. Trump is demanding that Tokyo and other allies increase their defense spending.
Takaichi addressed this in her speech: She announced that the target of two percent of gross domestic product for defense spending would be brought forward by two years. The spending target should therefore be achieved this tax year. The target so far has been the 2027-28 financial year.
Takaichi became the first woman to head a Japanese government on Tuesday. The 64-year-old head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is considered a confidante of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in July 2022 and who had close relations with Trump.
During her tenure as Minister of Economic Security, Takaichi had repeatedly appeared as a vocal critic of China and its military buildup in the Asia-Pacific region. Even then, she gave priority to issues such as the economy and defense.
“The free, open and stable international order to which we have become accustomed is being deeply shaken by historic shifts in the balance of power and intensifying geopolitical competition,” she said in her speech. She warned in particular about the “military activities of neighboring countries” China, North Korea and Russia. These activities have become “a serious problem.”
In her speech, Takaichi also discussed the Japanese economy. Japan needs foreign workers to make up for labor shortages due to population decline, she said. However, “some illegal activities and rule violations by certain foreigners” had caused “uncomfort” among the public. The government will “respond decisively to such actions,” she announced.
