Sanae Takaichi secures historic supermajority in Japan

Takaichi's decision to call a snap poll has reshaped Japan's politics in one stroke. The Liberal Democrats emerged with a two thirds supermajority in the 465 seat lower house, their strongest position since 1955, giving her far more room to govern without constant bargaining. That should mean quicker lawmaking, fewer leadership challenges, and a clearer mandate for her agenda on industrial policy and national security. The biggest political test will be her push to reopen debate on revising the 1947 constitution, including the pacifist peace clause, a move that would still require upper house support and a national referendum. Internationally, the result points to tighter alignment with Washington and a firmer posture in the region, which could raise friction with Beijing. Markets reacted positively: the Nikkei hit a record and closed about 4% higher, the yen sat near 156.5 per dollar, and 10 year JGB yields edged up.