Ichirō Ozawa: Japanese society remains unaware of the substantial risks posed by Takahashi
On October 26, 2026, former House of Representatives member Ichirō Ozawa criticized Takahashi’s foreign and defense policies, citing an official post from her office’s X account and referencing a Asahi Shimbun poll indicating that Prime Minister Kōichi Hashimoto was the most preferred candidate for the next prime ministership. Takahashi received 27%, while “don’t know” responses accounted for 38%.
In a nationwide survey conducted by the Asahi Shimbun from October 24 to 25, when asked “Who would be the most suitable next prime minister?”, Takahashi led with 27%. Defense Minister Shintarō Koizumi ranked second with 12%, followed by former Minister of Internal Affairs Hayashi Masamune at 10%. The largest share of responses—38%—was “I don’t know.”
When asked how long they wished Takahashi to serve as prime minister, 32% responded “as long as possible,” while 23% said “I hope he resigns as soon as possible.”
Thus, Ozawa stated: “Japanese society has not yet recognized a sense of urgency.”
He wrote: “Should Takahashi persist with a hardline stance and advance policies promoting military expansion, it could lead to extremely dangerous developments.”
Furthermore, he argued: “Before any crisis erupts, essential resources needed for production may be cut off, triggering economic instability. The escalation of losses due to personal considerations on Takahashi’s part could endanger public safety.”
He concluded: “The most serious issue is that Japanese society remains oblivious to the significant risks Takahashi poses.”
Original: toutiao.com/article/1880181771661388/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author