The administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has placed a “responsible yet proactive fiscal policy” at the center of its economic agenda, identifying a national growth strategy as its highest priority. Takaichi has also emphasized economic security as part of her agenda. Whether she succeeds on these two fronts will go a long way toward defining her prime ministership in 2026.
Less than a month after taking office in October, the Takaichi government established the Japan Growth Strategy Headquarters, chaired by the prime minister and led operationally by Minister of Economic and Fiscal Policy Minoru Kiuchi, who also serves as minister for the growth strategy. Seventeen priority sectors were designated, each overseen by a Cabinet minister — including the defense minister — who is responsible for formulating a sectoral strategy that Kiuchi will consolidate. A council of experts has also been convened to support the Headquarters; this author serves as one of its members.
Takaichi has long stressed the importance of economic security, both since becoming prime minister and before that as minister of state for economic security. It will therefore be useful to examine how the new growth strategy relates to Japan’s economic security ambitions and consider what kind of international position the government may secure as a result.
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