Political comms gets personal in Japan 🇯🇵
Sanae Takaichi’s rise illustrates how personality, tone and shareability have become as important as policy detail, normalising populist strategies in politics and beyond.
Think of traditional Japanese politics and politicians, and a host of monochromatic words and images may come to mind. Colour and clarity probably do not. Yet those are two of the new prime minister's hallmarks. Sanae Takaichi's straight-talking, no-nonsense personal style has the potential to renew interest in politics among a disconnected generation of voters. It could also change the way other politicians address their stakeholders — for better or worse.
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has only lost power twice in Japan's post-war history, but that doesn't mean that it has kept voters inspired. It has long been seen as the 'realistic' choice, a bit like the adage that no-one ever got fired for buying IBM. With Takaichi's arrival, it has suddenly become much less boring.
