Japan’s prime minister is on track for a decisive win in a Sunday snap election, setting her up to deliver expansive fiscal policies and a more assertive stance toward China.
Sanae Takaichi took office just three months ago, but wants to cement power in the country’s legislature to build a more “outspoken and powerful Japan,” Bloomberg wrote.
Stocks have risen the past week on bets that Takaichi will hold office for a long time and push shareholder-friendly policies benefiting the tech and defense sectors, even as some analysts caution against overreach.
Key to Takaichi’s success is her unexpected popularity among young people: A type of “sanamania” has taken off, with people buying up pens and bags that Takaichi is spotted with.