'Work like a horse': Japan’s first woman prime minister Sanae Takaichi’s public statements over the years

Sanae Takaichi

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Sanae Takaichi made history on Tuesday by becoming the country’s first woman prime minister.

The 64-year-old conservative politician, long seen as an ideological hardliner, secured the top job with backing from the right-wing Japan Innovation Party (Ishin), ensuring a majority in parliament.

Often compared to Britain’s former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, whom she calls her “political hero,” Takaichi has said her goal is to “become the Iron Lady.” Her public statements over the years reveal a mix of nationalist conviction, economic pragmatism, and deeply conservative social beliefs. Take a look:

On work and determination, she has been unapologetically blunt. “I will work, work, work, work and work,” she declared after winning the LDP leadership. In a speech last month, she urged party members to “work like workhorses” and abandon the concept of “work-life balance.” The comment drew criticism from labour rights groups, including Japan’s National Defence Council for Victims of Karoshi, which said such statements risk reviving a toxic overwork culture in a country already grappling with work-related deaths.

Takaichi’s views on foreign visitors also made headlines during her campaign. Referring to reports of tourists mistreating the sacred deer of Nara, her hometown, she said, “There are outrageous people who kick them with their feet. If foreigners take pleasure in trampling on the feelings of the Japanese, then something must be done.” Although she offered no evidence of widespread misconduct, her remarks echoed her broader call for stricter behaviour rules for tourists.

On immigration, Takaichi has repeatedly warned against rapid demographic shifts. “Immigration in a hurry would create a hostile atmosphere within Japanese society,” she said, adding that while Japan needs foreign workers, the country must “review the policy so that we will be able to live peacefully together with foreigners.”

Her stance on gender and family policy remains conservative despite her own trailblazing rise. She has opposed letting married women retain their maiden names, arguing it undermines traditional values. Yet, she has promised to form a cabinet with “Nordic-level” gender parity. “I wouldn’t appoint women just because they’re women,” she said. “But the plan is to pick far more women who are capable and willing to serve the nation.”

Takaichi has also courted controversy for her remarks on Japan’s wartime legacy. In a 2013 interview with the Wall Street Journal, she urged then-prime minister Shinzo Abe to state that “protects the honour and pride” of the nation and revises previous wartime apologies. She has previously said, “I would be glad if all cabinet members would visit the Yasukuni Shrine,” referring to the Tokyo site honouring Japan’s war dead, including World War II leaders convicted as war criminals — a stance that has drawn protests from China and South Korea.

On the economy, Takaichi told reporters after her leadership win that she would “focus first on dealing with rising consumer prices through responsible, aggressive and wise spending.” According to Japan Times, inflation has hovered between 2.5 and 3 per cent, exceeding the Bank of Japan’s target, while wages have barely recovered to 1990s levels.

Her relationship with the media has also been a source of contention. As internal affairs minister in 2016, Takaichi warned that the government “has the authority to suspend broadcasters it deems biased,” according to AFP. Although she later clarified that she would not personally use such powers, press freedom groups called her comments concerning.

Takaichi’s career has not been without controversy. In 2014, she was photographed with Kazunari Yamada, leader of Japan’s neo-Nazi National Socialist Japanese Workers’ Party. Her office later told AFP that the meeting had been “careless” and that her team “had no idea who he was back then,” stressing that she did not share his views.