Sanae Takaichi is poised to break one of Japan’s most enduring political barriers. At 64, the newly elected leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is set to become the country’s first female prime minister once her appointment is confirmed by parliament, which is widely expected. Her rise marks a historic moment in Japanese politics but also comes with contradictions that reflect the complexities of both her career and the party she now leads.
From heavy metal to high office
Takaichi’s path to power has been anything but conventional. As a student, she played drums in a heavy metal band and rode motorcycles, a lifestyle far removed from Japan’s political establishment. She entered parliament in 1993 from her hometown of Nara and has since held senior positions, including minister of internal affairs, minister for gender equality, and minister of economic security.
Her reputation has been built on discipline and loyalty to the LDP’s conservative core. In a closely fought party runoff, she defeated Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, son of former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi. She will now replace outgoing premier Shigeru Ishiba, becoming Japan’s fifth prime minister in five years.
Her victory comes at a turbulent time. The LDP has been weakened by inflation, a slush fund scandal, and the rise of populist challengers such as the anti-immigration Sanseito party. Under Ishiba, the ruling coalition even lost its majority in both houses of parliament, forcing his resignation. “Recently, I have heard harsh voices from across the country saying we don’t know what the LDP stands for anymore,” Takaichi said before the runoff vote. “That sense of urgency drove me. I wanted to turn people’s anxieties about their daily lives and the future into hope.”
A complicated gender legacy
Takaichi’s ascent is historic for women in Japan. Yet her own record on gender issues sits uneasily with the symbolism of her appointment. She has consistently opposed reforming the 19th-century law requiring married couples to share a surname, rejects same-sex marriage, and supports keeping the imperial throne exclusively male.
“Her election would be a step forward for women’s participation in politics,” said Sadafumi Kawato, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo. “But she’s shown little inclination to fight against patriarchal norms.”
Takaichi has pledged to appoint more women to her cabinet and compared her vision to “Nordic” models. But observers argue that her rise within the LDP has depended on echoing the views of powerful male leaders, which could limit her ability to drive real change. Japan’s broader record also underlines the challenge: women hold only about 15 percent of seats in the lower house and just two of the country’s 47 governors are female. Globally, Japan ranks 118th out of 148 in the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Gender Gap Report.
There are hints, however, of a more personal openness. She has spoken about her own struggles with menopause and stressed the importance of teaching men about women’s health at school and in the workplace.
Economic priorities and political idols
Takaichi often cites former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher as her inspiration. Like Thatcher, she positions herself as a determined and uncompromising leader. Economically, she has been a staunch supporter of late prime minister Shinzo Abe’s “Abenomics,” which relied on government spending and loose monetary policy. She has criticized the Bank of Japan’s recent rate hikes, a stance that unsettles investors worried about Japan’s debt burden.
Her policy agenda also emphasizes strengthening Japan’s military, tightening immigration rules, boosting cybersecurity, and investing in nuclear fusion research. Analysts note that her hard line on immigration and crime appears aimed at winning back conservative voters disillusioned with the LDP.
Hawkish foreign policy instincts
On foreign affairs, Takaichi is a security hawk. She has long argued for revising Japan’s pacifist postwar constitution and has taken a tough line on China. Earlier this year she suggested a “quasi-security alliance” with Taiwan, drawing praise from Taipei but certain to provoke Beijing. Taiwan’s president Lai Ching-te hailed her as a “steadfast friend of Taiwan” and voiced hope for deeper cooperation in trade, technology, and security.
She has also signalled that she may revisit Japan’s investment arrangement with the United States, originally struck with President Donald Trump in exchange for tariff relief. US ambassador George Glass was quick to congratulate her, saying he looked forward to stronger ties “on every front.”
Takaichi has promised that her premiership will bring a more visible Japanese role abroad. “I have thrown away my own work-life balance and I will work, work, work,” she declared in her victory speech. Her vow to project Japan’s leadership internationally comes at a moment when allies are eager for Tokyo to play a larger role in global security and economic debates.
A historic yet cautious moment
Sanae Takaichi’s rise is both a breakthrough and a paradox. She is about to become Japan’s first woman prime minister, yet her conservative views on gender and society suggest limits to how transformative her leadership will be for women’s equality. Her loyalty to “Abenomics” and her hawkish stance on foreign affairs mark her as a leader of continuity as much as change.
For now, her ascent represents history in the making. Whether she can translate that milestone into a broader renewal for her party and her country remains the defining question of her premiership.
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