Japan's foreign policy backlash: Will Takaichi double down?

Editor's note: Zhou Xin is an observer of international affairs. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's foreign policy is facing growing criticism at home, with increasing calls for a more pragmatic China policy and greater scrutiny of the Japan-US alliance following a robbery-murder case involving a US service member in Okinawa.

Former Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, who chairs the Japan-China Association for the Promotion of International Trade, has made a series of pointed remarks since his recent visit to China. He bluntly stated that the current tensions in Japan-China relations were of Japan's own making. Recalling Prime Minister Takaichi's remarks last November about a "Taiwan contingency," Iwaya said that he had been taken aback while listening to her address. He also dismissed as unrealistic her vision of making Japan shine brilliantly at the center of the world. As a middle power, he argued, Tokyo need not to pretend to be a major power, but should instead pursue stable ties with China, as regional countries expect it to do. Separately, former Japanese ambassador to China Yuji Miyamoto stressed in a commentary that Japan's ties with China are vital to Japan's peaceful development and urged Prime Minister Takaichi to resume dialogue with China as soon as possible.

The Okinawa murder case has also exposed what many in Japan see as the stark inequality underpinning the Japan-US alliance. Many feel humiliated that a sovereign country appears unable to exercise full authority over a serious crime committed on its own soil by a member of a foreign military. Critics argue that Takaichi's protest to Washington amounts to little more than political posturing, sidestepping the central issue of the extraterritorial rights enjoyed by US forces stationed in Japan. Many fear the case will follow a familiar pattern: an initial show of indignation, followed by a token settlement with no real accountability. Okinawan residents are demanding answers: how much longer must they endure such harm.

Yet these criticisms appear to have fallen on deaf ears. From day one, the Takaichi administration has pursued an increasingly one-sided foreign policy, antagonizing neighboring China while seeking to curry favor with the United States.

Rather than enhancing Japan's international standing, this approach risks leaving the country more vulnerable and isolated. Deteriorating ties with China have put pressure on Japanese exports and tourism, adding to the cost-of-living pressures facing ordinary people. By promoting narratives of external threats, Takaichi is prioritizing military spending over people's livelihoods. Its FY2026 defense budget has hit a record 9 trillion yen ($57 billion), with more to come in FY2027. At the same time, she has repeatedly used international events to promote a revisionist view of history, appealing to right-wing supporters while disregarding the sensitivities of Asian neighbors who suffered under Japanese wartime aggression.

Tokyo is also pursuing what critics describe as a policy of "diplomacy of military expansion." It has approved exports of lethal weapons, moved to sell surplus military equipment to Southeast Asian nations, and stepped up joint drills with the US, the Philippines and other partners. Such moves risk fuelling an arms race and undermining regional peace and stability.

An increasing number of Japanese view Takaichi's hard-line foreign policy not as a source of security, but as a source of risk, one that could weaken rather than strengthen the country.

Her highly performative diplomacy has also drawn criticism. She has been ridiculed for lavishing praise on the United States in ways critics consider unbecoming of a national leader. During last year's East Asia Summit in Malaysia, she laid flowers at a memorial to Japanese war dead, describing the occasion as a moving moment to reflect on Malaysian history, yet made no mention of the atrocities Japanese forces committed there. Her remarks drew sharp criticism in Malaysia. Local scholars noted that honoring those responsible for wartime atrocities inevitably reopens wounds for victims and their descendants.

Trying to hold a torch against the wind risks burning one's own hand. The Takaichi administration has turned diplomacy into a platform for political theater and the promotion of her right-wing agenda, losing sight of its fundamental purpose: serving the interests of the Japanese people. Public discontent is mounting. Japan's own Diplomatic Bluebook emphasizes the importance of listening to the public and conducting diplomacy that commands understanding and support. By that standard, the Takaichi administration still has much work to do.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Follow @thouse_opinions on X to discover the latest commentaries in the CGTN Opinion Section.)