Japan’s conservative leader bets big on Takaichi mania with snap election. Will her gamble pay off?

By Hanako Montgomery, CNN Tokyo (CNN) — In scenes normally reserved for J-pop stars, thousands of fans huddle against the cold outside a small train station on the outskirts of Tokyo, their phones held high for a glimpse of Japan’s latest obsession. Suddenly, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi steps out onto a concrete walkway, and a