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Has Sanae Takaichi Made Japan Great Again?

October 20, 2026 · 19 min

Show notes

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wants to put Japan back in the fast lane, with huge investments in everything from AI to space technology. But can she generate the growth to justify the spending without unsettling markets and voters?

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, host K. Oanh Ha talks to Bloomberg’s Paul Jackson about Takaichi’s first-year scorecard and the economic and political pressures that could determine whether her agenda succeeds.

Read more: Japan Is Still Figuring Out How a Female Prime Minister Should Lead

Further listening: Japan Hikes Rates, Reshaping Carry Trade

We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.

Host: K. Oanh Ha; Guest: Paul Jackson; Produced by Naomi Ng; Edited by Crispina Robert and Julia Weaver; Engineering by Greg Tock.

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