Tokyo: After Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's sweeping victory in a snap lower house election, Taiwan could see substantive progress in its pursuit of an economic partnership agreement (EPA) with Japan, an expert said Monday. According to Focus Taiwan, Lim Chuan-tiong, a project researcher at the University of Tokyo's Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, expressed optimism that with Takaichi's power cemented by the vote, Taiwan and Japan will see an increase in economic exchanges. Takaichi, Japan's first female prime minister, dissolved the House of Representatives in late January to consolidate her leadership. Her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secured 316 of the lower house's 465 seats in Sunday's election, marking a record haul since the chamber adopted its current form in 2017. The Japan Innovation Party (JIP), the LDP's coalition partner, won 36 seats, giving the ruling alliance more than three-quarters of the total seats in the lower house. Lim highlighted that President Lai Ching-te met wi th Takaichi in Taipei last year, discussing the signing of an EPA with Japan, while Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung recently received Japanese lawmakers to further the conversation on the hoped-for EPA. Lim noted that Takaichi's previous role as Japan's Minister of State for Economic Security provided her with a better understanding of the strategic importance of an EPA for Japan and Taiwan. He expressed confidence that under Takaichi's leadership, there is a higher chance Japan and Taiwan will sign an EPA, enhancing bilateral economic cooperation. In addition to economic and trade issues, Lim mentioned that Japan and Taiwan are expected to interact more frequently. Despite tensions with China, Japanese lawmakers have frequently visited Taiwan, demonstrating that the China factor has not weakened ties between Japan and Taiwan. Takaichi's overwhelming win is expected to encourage even more Japanese lawmakers to visit Taiwan. Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party has established the Department of Youth Development since last year and has advised it to launch exchanges with the LDP's Youth Division. Lim anticipates more frequent cross-generational exchanges between the DPP and LDP under Takaichi's term in office.