Policy Brief No.256: The New Takaichi Administration: Confronting Harsh Realities on the International Stage

Cabinet Secretariat, Japan / Wiki Commons

This policy brief examines the diplomatic challenges facing the Takaichi Administration. A clear direction in foreign and security policy can be inferred from the new prime minister’s cabinet appointments. This paper will delve into the structural challenge of the Takaichi administration's political vulnerability and explore the expectations and concerns of key international actors (the US and China) regarding this fragility. Finally, it will offer specific policy recommendations on how the Takaichi administration should execute a robust foreign and security policy to protect Japan's national interests under unstable political conditions, focusing particularly on diplomacy with South Korea to avoid undermining the critically important Japan–US–South Korea security cooperation.