Takaichi flaunts SMART power, “Japan is back”

“Ladies and gentlemen, Japan is back.” In a 2013 address to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C., the late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared as much. He refuted the paper published by 5 writers including Joseph Nye, to investigate whether Japan would end up becoming a Tier-two nation. Abe made a pledge that Japan will come back as a leader in the Indo-Pacific region and “Abeconomic” will prevail.

12 years count on, the then LDP’s head of party’s think tank, now successor of Abe, Sanae Takaichi, is answering to the pledge —— “Japan is back”. 

“I myself will throw out the term ‘work-life balance,’” Takaichi said in her victory speech, “I will work and work and work and work and work.” She is a woman of her word. After 4 days in the office, Takaichi flew to Kuala Lumpur for the ASEAN summut. Videos of her energetically rolling her chair to Indonesia’s president, hugging Chile’s leader, casually learning on the table to shake hands with Canada’s PM have gone viral throughout the internet. Some criticised her acts as inappropriate. Some reckoned that it was refreshing to see Japan taking charge of blooming relations with foreign leaders. 

The diplomatic stage continued with Trump’s meeting in Tokyo. Takaichi made a lively and cheerful appearance, walking arm in arm with Trump to the magnesium’s light. The duo used gold pens to sign baseball hats that say “Japan Is Back.” Takaichi made good use of Abe’s legacy by presenting Trump with a golf putter that once belonged to Abe. Takaichi would also nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The duo had about 8 minutes meeting with the family of people abducted by North Korea – a decade-long problem which Takaichi compromised to get a resolution to in her term. 

The leaders then continued to sign a framework to collaborate on building a supply chain and stockpile for critical minerals and rare earths, a sector largely dominated by China. Beijing recently tightened export controls on these minerals, which are essential for everything from semiconductor chips to fighter jets. 

The cordial meeting continued with an address to American troops aboard the U.S.S. George Washington, an aircraft carrier docked at Yokosuka Naval Base south of Tokyo. Takaichi outlined Japan’s commitment to strengthening its role in the joint military alliance aimed at countering Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the South China Sea. Following her remarks, Trump announced that he had approved a missile order to equip Japanese F-35 jets.

Takaichi further demonstrated her diplomatic charm at the APEC summit. After taking a photo with South Korea’s president Lee Jae-myeong, she bowed her own country’s flag and that of the neighbour’s. The small but significant gesture gained respect from the public in South Korea, which also has over 96% of the homogenous ethnic population. The leaders confirmed shuttle diplomacy with each other to pursue mutual security and economic interest. 

The meeting with China’s Xi was not as cheerful. Takaichi shook off her big smile and cut to the chase. She deliberately mentioned humanitarian issues in Xinjiang (East Turkistan) and Hong Kong, as well as the security issue at Taiwanese Straits – all the “red lines” which Xi did not like to talk about in public. Yet the latter sent an open complaint to the press that Japan should not comment on China’s domestic politics which is a red line that should not be crossed. 

Note to the duo’s relationship, that Xi did not congratulate Takaichi formally for her victory. Given the fact that Takaichi’s infamous position in supporting Taiwan and her visits to a controversial WWII shrine. Before meeting Xi, Takaichi had uploaded a photo of her and Lin Hsin-yi – Taiwan's envoy to the APEC summit. 

Takaichi went back to a competent and efficient persona while dealing with domestic affairs.The workaholic even called out a 3AM study session to be prepared for the questions in her first parliamentary budget committee meeting. It was Takaichi’s mission impossible to carry out a plot twist in her domestic popularity. Given the fact that LDP does not possess the majority of seats in both houses of the national Diet, even though they have support of Nippon Ishin no Kai, moreover, the breakdown of the  25-year coalition with Komeito Party undermines risks to Takaichi’s government.

The whirlpool diplomacy week demonstrated Takaichi’s pragmatic image to the people of Japan., allowing her to have won the hearts of 83% of Japanese people, exceeding her predecessor Abe. The proactive image in diplomacy was vital to pursuing policies in domestic affairs.  

Following up the deals and promises agreed at the summit, Japan announced rare earth mining near Minamitori in the Pacific in order to fight against China’s dominance in the sector. 

To cope with the abductees problem which Takaichi compromised to get a resolution to in her term. She called for a meeting with Kim Jong-un. 

To keep her promise to stand for Taiwan, Takaichi claimed that, the use of military force by China on Taiwan such as a naval blockade would likely constitute a “survival-threatening situation” that would force Japan to respond, and thus justify SDF (Japan Self-Defense Forces)  support.  

I have hinted at Takaichi's potential military resurgence as she is devoted to supporting revision of Japan’s constitution. Her pragmatic character showcased has also demonstrated she is seemingly not a politician who would only give blank cheques. It is noteworthy to observe the change in SDF and rather if Article 9 will be abolished. With a high score of satisfaction from Japanese, Takaichi could be the strong(wo)man who could shout “Japan is back” to the world. 

It is reported that Takaichi has plans to attend the G20 summit in South Africa. She aims for separate talks on the sidelines with the leaders of emerging and developing countries known collectively as the Global South, an arena of diplomatic competition to China. It is notable to see how Takaichi continues to flaunt her diplomatic skills and assert Japan’s presence on the global stage.