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As Japan's economic engines sputter and public anxiety grows, what kind of leader do people turn to – a pragmatic problem-solver or a hardline voice channeling their frustrations? This raises a critical question: who or what has empowered Takaichi, and what cards make up her political "hand"?

For Japan today, recognizing the true nature of Takaichi's agenda may be the first step to breaking this dangerous spiral. Otherwise, when politics clashes with economic reality, these very cards could become dead weight, accelerating Japan's decline.

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