"Takaichi Is the Real Deal ('gachi')": Will Enthusiastic Young Japanese Voters Turn Out?

Tokyo, The Financial News — As Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi tours the country campaigning ahead of the House of Representatives of Japan election on the 8th of this month, attention is focusing on whether young voters, seen as her core support base, will actually go to the polls. For the high approval ratings of the Takaichi Cabinet to translate into votes for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), youth turnout will be crucial. However, some observers are worried because election day coincides with both the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and the university entrance exam season.
Although various opinion polls conducted by Japanese media in January showed that support for the Takaichi Cabinet fell across the board, young people continue to back her solidly.
In a survey conducted by The Mainichi Shimbun on January 24–25, the approval rating for the Takaichi Cabinet stood at 57%, a sharp drop of 10 percentage points from December. A poll by Sankei Shimbun and Fuji News Network (FNN) over the same period put support at 70.8%, down 4.2 percentage points from the previous survey. The Yomiuri Shimbun’s January 23–25 poll also showed a four-point decline, to 69%.
Among younger respondents, however, the decline was limited. In the Mainichi survey, approval among those aged 18–29 was 72%, and 68% among people in their 30s, indicating that support among younger generations remains high. In the Sankei Shimbun and FNN poll, approval in the 18–29 age group reached 88.7%, and 76.5% among those in their 30s. The Yomiuri survey likewise found a high 79% approval rate among respondents aged 18–39.
Experts say the unusually strong support among young people stems from the perception that "Takaichi is 'gachi'"—a Japanese slang term widely used by the young, meaning "for real," "serious," or "genuinely committed."
IT journalist Toshiyuki Inoue told Sankei Shimbun, "Young voters believe that Prime Minister Takaichi’s attitude toward politics is sincere, and they see her as a politician who is 'the real deal.'"
Before being elected LDP president, Prime Minister Takaichi was known as a reformist who championed "political reform." Compared with former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who also came from the reformist camp but wavered significantly once in office, Takaichi has come to be seen as someone who is "truly" committed, reinforcing her image as authentic.
A scene from the Korea-Japan Summit in January, where Prime Minister Takaichi and President Lee Jae-myung performed a drum duet, also captured the imagination of young people. Inoue noted, "Young voters seem to feel that her drumming skills are not some low-level performance just to attract media attention. They think even her hobby is for real, and that has made her more likable." Takaichi has previously said that she played drums in a heavy metal band during her university days.
Takaichi’s distance from the traditional political drinking culture is another factor resonating with younger generations. She is seen not as someone steeped in the "old Nagatachō-style politics" of nightly banquets with political and business elites at upscale restaurants, but as a figure who might break with that outdated way of doing politics.
The fact that she has a weak power base within the party and relatively few close allies is also cited as a reason for her appeal among young voters.
Sankei Shimbun reported, "While many veteran political reporters criticized Prime Minister Takaichi’s lack of prior coordination in the process leading up to the dissolution of the House of Representatives of Japan, young voters interpreted it as a sign that she is not beholden to the LDP’s old-guard politicians."
It remains uncertain, however, how many young people will actually take part in this general election. A senior LDP official said, "The election will be held on the third day of the Winter Olympics and overlaps with exam season, so we are worried about how many of them will make it to the polling stations."
sjmary@fnnews.com Seo Hye-jin Reporter