Sanae Takaichi was elected Japan’s 105th prime minister at a special session of the National Diet on Wednesday, swiftly forming her second Cabinet hours after securing parliamentary approval.

All ministers from her first administration resigned en masse at an extraordinary Cabinet meeting earlier in yesterday morning, a procedural step before being reappointed to the new Cabinet in the evening. The move underscores Takaichi’s emphasis on policy continuity following her party’s landslide victory in the recent lower house election.

The government’s immediate priority is passing the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which has faced delays after the dissolution of the House of Representatives at the start of the ordinary Diet session on January 23 for a general election.

During the plenary session, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmaker Eisuke Mori was elected speaker of the House of Representatives, while Keiichi Ishii of the Centrist Reform Alliance was chosen as vice speaker.

among the representatives of parliament 

After being designated prime minister by both chambers, Takaichi confirmed with Hirofumi Yoshimura leader of the Japan Innovation Party and governor of Osaka that their parties would continue their existing coalition arrangement. However, no members of the Japan Innovation Party were included in the reshuffled Cabinet.

Following the imperial investiture ceremony for the prime minister and the attestation of ministers at the Imperial Palace, Takaichi chaired her first Cabinet meeting of the new term later in the evening.

According to Asia News Network, the renewed administration is expected to double down on what Takaichi has described as a “responsible and proactive finance policy,” while also reviving efforts toward constitutional revision , a long-standing goal of the ruling bloc.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters the government would respond “earnestly” to parliamentary deliberations to secure swift passage of the budget bill.

The 150-day special Diet session will continue until July 17. Four key government policy speeches, including one by Takaichi, are scheduled for Friday, with question-and-answer sessions by party representatives set for February 24–26. The lower house Budget Committee is expected to begin substantive debate as early as February 27.

BOB Post