The year 2025 was a dramatic one for Japan. Domestically, it was punctuated by inflation and a rice crisis, the LDP–Komeito coalition’s loss of its majority in the July 20 Upper House election, and Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru’s replacement as LDP president by Takaichi Sanae, who went on to become Japan’s first female prime minister. In foreign affairs, Japan grappled with uncertainty in the US–Japan trade and defense relationship following Donald Trump’s return to the White House and the outbreak of the worst China–Japan diplomatic conflict since 2010. As Japan transitions into a new year, domestic politics may be stabilizing, but the regional security environment is growing increasingly severe.
Patricia L. Maclachlan (Sun,) studied this question.