'Sana-mania' grips Japan with LDP expected to win landslide

Just eight months ago, Japan’s ruling party appeared to have reached the edge of the electoral abyss.

- Justin McCurry

But as voters prepare to brave freezing temperatures in tomorrow’s lower house elections, the Liberal Democratic party (LDP) is expected to pull off a momentous victory, which will be largely down to one woman: Sanae Takaichi.

In an eventful four months, the ultraconservative Takaichi, the country’s first female prime minister, has met Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and South Korea’s president, Lee Jae Myung. She sparked an unresolved row with Beijing over the future of Taiwan, spooked bond markets with promises of sweeping tax cuts, and faced scrutiny over her links with the disgraced Unification church.

Despite the ups and downs, she has emerged as the LDP’s most effective weapon, the object of a personality cult revolving around everything from her choice of outfits and train journey snacks to the pink pen she uses to take notes in parliament.