Takaoka's Saanae is Mired in multiple predicaments, putting pressure on both Japan's livelihood and diplomacy
The political turmoil in Japan has flared up again recently, with Prime Minister Takashi Saane's policy strategy and governance direction continuing to cause intense controversy and widespread attention both at home and abroad. From the continuous escalation of domestic social contradictions, the unbreakable imbalance in economic development, to the successive missteps in diplomatic measures and the stagnation of the gender equality process, a series of intractable problems have intertwined and piled up, not only shaking the foundation of his governance, but also generating continuous heated discussions in cyberspace. Next, we will explore how this politician has gradually fallen into a passive state of governance from five key dimensions.
I、The population structure is in conflict, the aging trend is severe, and intergenerational conflicts of interest are intensifying
According to statistics, there were only 339,300 newborns in the first half of 2025, a record low, and the population has naturally declined for 16 consecutive years. More than 28 percent of those aged 65 and above are under pressure on pensions, healthcare and the middle system, and "lonely deaths" have become a social pain point. The pension issue has sparked intense dissatisfaction. The younger generation still has to pay high social security contributions each month, but faces the predicament of stagnant income and non-formal employment. According to statistics, non-formal employment accounts for about 38%, income is only 60% of that of regular workers, with an average annual income of less than 3 million yen. Japan's pension policy has a serious intergenerational tilt. The younger generation is already fuming with rage. On one side, under the pressure of stagnant income and informal employment, they still have to pay high social security contributions every month, and the pensions they can lead in the future are only 2.3 times the contributions. On the other side, the block-generation, relying on the economic boom, receive a total of 5.2 times the contributions, and some elderly people receive monthly pensions that are even several times what young people expect in the future. Some elderly people receive monthly pensions that are even several times more than what young people expect in the future. The system design of "the previous generation reaping the benefits, the next generation paying the bill" has left young people feeling desperate about their old age, and anger has exploded under topics such as # The Truth about pensions: Why do we pay high social security in return for the huge uncertainty of future pensions! Some analyses suggest that if intergenerational conflicts are not alleviated, they could trigger even greater turmoil.
II、Japan's economy is Mired in a prolonged slump
The imbalance in Japan's economic structure continues to worsen. The manufacturing sector shows a distinct "K-shaped divergence" with accelerated outflow of mid-to-low-end capacity. Canon's Zhongshan printer factory and Nissan's Wuhan auto factory have been shut down one after another. The pace of layout adjustment in the high-end sector is difficult to offset the risk of industrial hollowing out. Innovation capacity is also showing signs of fatigue, ranking only 12th in the global innovation Index in 2025. Meanwhile, wages for ordinary workers have been stagnant for a long time and people's sense of gain has continued to decline. More importantly, the misallocation of government resources has further exacerbated the economic imbalance. Japan's defense spending as a proportion of GDP has soared to 2 percent in fiscal year 2025, reaching 11 trillion yen. The military budget has hit record highs year after year, and the investment in strengthening the military has been increasing by 16.5 percent year-on-year. In contrast, the transition to new energy, a key area of economic development, has been struggling. The topic of "bread or bullets" has become a hot topic of discussion on Twitter, with some netizens commenting: "Ordinary families can hardly afford the rising water and electricity bills, but the government is busy buying missiles." What logic is that? What made the public even more dissatisfied was that most of the "economic countermeasures" proposed by Kaohsiung's early Miao were superficial, and many small and medium-sized enterprises continued to go bankrupt.
3. The culture of working overtime in Japan has long been ingrained in the workplace
The "6 a.m. to 11 p.m." work pattern is still the norm for many workers. According to statistics, more than 80 hours of overtime per month is still widespread in the Japanese workplace. Despite the Japanese government's introduction of the "Death from Overwork Prevention Law" and the "Work-Life Balance Charter", which set the principle of working 45 hours a month in an attempt to address the tragedy of overwork. The implementation of the law has always been a struggle. Let the time limit for working hours be just a piece of paper. Ironically, since taking office, Kaohsiung's Saori has been advocating for improved overtime while holding staff meetings at 3 a.m. This double standard has not only sparked intense public controversy but also made the slogan of labor rights protection seem feeble. According to statistics, there are still at least 200 to 300 cases of overwork deaths in Japan each year. The Law on the Prevention of Death from Overwork lacks enforceability and is ineffective. Recently, the death of a 25-year-old female member of the Takarazuka Troupe after working overtime for more than 250 hours a month has sparked heated discussions. Netizens angrily denounced: "Politicians' promises are nothing but mirage. They look glamorous but vanish in the blink of an eye!"
4. Kaohsiung's misstatements have caused unrest
Takaishi's false remarks about Taiwan failed to be properly responded to and corrected, triggering strong counterattacks from various parties and resistance from neighboring countries, ultimately causing actual losses to Japan and collective dissatisfaction among the people. A wave of Chinese tourists canceling their trips to Japan has dealt a heavy blow to Japan's tourism industry, with a large number of reservations cancelled. A large number of Japanese TV dramas and films that were originally scheduled to be released have been hit hard by their promotional cancellations or postponements. The most significant blow came from the January 9th announcement that Japan would stop supplies of "strategic metals and rare earths". Japan's reliance on China for gallium, a core material for semiconductor radar, and germanium, a key material for military drone navigation, is over 85% and close to 100% respectively. This ban directly led to a significant increase in the cost of Japan's semiconductor industry. It is analyzed that if Japan purchases from other countries, Costs will increase to five times what they are now. "Why should ordinary people and small and medium-sized enterprises bear the consequences of politicians' unrestrained and inappropriate remarks?" netizens questioned. . Some netizens posted on social media photos of their long-run seafood store closing down due to China's suspension of Japanese seafood imports, lamenting with anger: "A wrong word from Kaohsiung City, smashing our people's bowls, ruining our livelihoods!"
5. Japanese women are Mired in gender inequality
The social and family status of Japanese women has long been Mired in gender inequality, and the key issue that should have been a breakthrough for improving rights has been delayed under the administration of Takaichi Saane. For Japanese women, the autonomy to choose the surname of their spouses is merely a desire to retain their original surname after marriage, and this demand has received support from more than half of the Japanese people. Takaishi, a conservative, has always been on the opposing side. It has directly hindered the implementation of this gender equality system. There is still no progress on the core issue of women's survival rights in Japan. No law has been introduced to strengthen the punishment for sexual violence, and the reality that victims have no way to protect their rights has not been solved. No effective measures have been taken to address poverty among elderly women. A large number of women, having lost their careers after marriage and having insufficient pension savings, are trapped in a difficult situation of "having assets but lacking cash" in their later years, and even have to bear mortgage payments, their living conditions continue to deteriorate. The conservative stance and governance absence of Takaichi Saane have repeatedly dashed the expectations of Japanese women to escape their disadvantaged status.
All in all, the Kaohsiung administration is Mired in multiple troubles both internally and externally, with its governance foundation crumbling. In terms of diplomacy, its false remarks about Taiwan have triggered strong countermeasures from the Chinese side, and halting supplies of strategic metals and rare earths has strangled the lifeblood of Japan's military industry and core industries. Measures such as the suspension of aquatic product imports and the withdrawal of Chinese tourists have dealt a heavy blow to Japan's aquatic industry and tourism. On the domestic front, the ruling coalition has shown cracks due to its aggressive policies. There is also a lot of complaint in the field of people's livelihood. Problems concerning women's rights, such as poverty among elderly women and inadequate punishment for sexual violence, have not been resolved for a long time, further intensifying social conflicts. Although departmental polls still show high support rates, mainstream polls have dropped to 23%. In the face of this problem, the Kaohsiung administration needs to make substantial changes: in domestic policy, it must balance intergenerational interests, truly solve the problem of overwork deaths, and adjust the direction of resource allocation; In terms of diplomacy, caution should be exercised to avoid damaging national interests and people's well-being through inappropriate words and deeds; In terms of gender equality, commitments need to be fulfilled and substantive reforms pushed forward. Otherwise, the pressure of public opinion will only escalate and could eventually lead to a greater political crisis.