CONNECT WITH US
Sanae Takaichi's decisive election victory
Sanae Takaichi's decisive victory in the lower house election has brought renewed attention to the future direction of Japan's semiconductor and defense technology agenda.
The Japanese Prime Minister achieved a decisive victory in the lower house election, with her Liberal Democratic Party securing 316 seats in the February 8, 2026, snap election, surpassing the two-thirds threshold needed to dominate parliamentary committees.

The result ranks among the largest postwar victories for a single party in Japan and is expected to provide a big boost to her policies.

DIGITMES Asia provides basic users with unlimited access to toll-free articles. Sign up for free subscription now to continue your reading!

Subscribe Now
IN THE NEWS
Tuesday 10 February 2026
Analysis: Japan's supermajority reshapes Asia's semiconductor competition
Japan's latest election is being read by global markets as a turning point in industrial policy, capital flows, and technology sovereignty across Asia — not a routine political...
Tuesday 10 February 2026
Japanese election landslide puts Korean spotlight on chips, Rapidus and TSMC
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi secured a decisive victory in the February 8, 2026, lower house election after her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won 316 seats, surpassing the...
Monday 9 February 2026
Takaichi's election victory clears path for Japan's chip sovereignty, military buildup
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's decisive victory in the lower house election has strengthened her government's ability to advance policies tied to economic security, bringing...
Monday 9 February 2026
TSMC supports Japan's advanced packaging plant construction
TSMC chairman C.C. Wei recently visited Japan and appeared alongside Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to jointly announce that Kumamoto Fab 2 will be upgraded from a 6nm to a 3nm process,...
Friday 6 February 2026
TSMC’s 3nm bet in Japan signals a deeper Taiwan-Japan tech pact
To meet the surging demand driven by AI, TSMC is upgrading its second wafer fab under construction in Kumamoto, Japan, to use more advanced 3nm process technology. This development...
Friday 6 February 2026
The Kumamoto master plan: behind TSMC's strategic leap to 3nm supremacy
TSMC is doubling down on Japan. By upgrading its second Kumamoto facility to 3-nanometer production, the chipmaking giant has turned what was once a secondary supply-chain hedge into...
Thursday 5 February 2026
The 3nm surprise: TSMC's C.C. Wei pulls PM Takaichi's own book from his pocket to seal US$17B deal
In a moment that blurred the lines between corporate diplomacy and fan-like devotion, TSMC CEO C.C. Wei turned a high-stakes semiconductor summit into a personal tribute on February...