Japanese yen rises after Takaichi election victory as dollar eases ahead of key economic reports

The yen strengthened on February 9, 2026, as the foreign exchange market reacted immediately to the news that Sanae Takaichi had secured a historic landslide win in the recent election. With her coalition sweeping to victory, traders began pricing in the likelihood of pro-growth fiscal stimulus under the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). This surge in the yen coincided with a softening of the U.S. dollar, as investors in the United States US turned their attention toward a cluster of U.S. economic data releases scheduled for later this week.