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Japan’s snap election delivered one of the biggest political surprises in years as Prime Minister Takaichi's LDP won 316 seats, securing a lower house two-third majority. In this episode, Dr. Sheila Smith, the John E. Merow Senior Fellow for Asia‑Pacific Studies, explains the key reasons behind Takaichi’s unexpected landslide: why she called the snap election, how the opposition failed to challenge Takaichi, and what the rise of new parties like Sanseito and Mirai no Tō tells us about changing voter priorities. She also breaks down the bigger forces shaping Japanese politics today: divisions inside the LDP, Takaichi’s direct and sometimes polarizing leadership style, and the policy debates shaping the agenda.

Zhang Youxia, PLA General and Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission, was removed from his post in January 2026, accused of 'serious violations of discipline and law'. What does the purge of Zhang Youxia reveal about power, risk, and military signaling in China? Dennis Wilder, senior fellow at the Initiative for U.S.–China Dialogue and former CIA China analyst, unpacks theories on the purge and explores what this event could mean for the PLA and regional security going forward.