Over the past century, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of important female political figures around the world: members in Parliament or Congress, members of a cabinet, and, as is now the case with Japan, a female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi. 

Takaichi was elected to lead the main political party of Japan, a very conservative group ironically named the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Given the party’s historical dominance (the LDP has been running the nation since around 1995), Takaichi already had a great chance to become Japan’s first ever female prime minister in October. 

Despite this significant advantage, the Komeito party, an important ally of the LDP coalition, exited the alliance prior to Takaichi’s final election win, weakening the power of the party briefly and complicating Takaichi’s path to power. In addition to this, opposition parties had been talking amongst themselves about uniting behind a single candidate to have a chance of beating the LDP. Takaichi might have been elected to lead the ruling party of Japan, but her path to the premiership was certainly not without competition.

Though her victory in the LDP has been hailed as a significant milestone for gender equality in politics, Takaichi has faced a lot of controversy in recent days for her views on how to govern the country. Takaichi has received criticism for her conservative and somewhat radical views and very stubborn mentality, earning her the premature nickname of “Japan’s Iron Lady.” One of her stated main goals is to emerge from the shadow of the United States and become more self-sufficient. Takaichi has stated that, “Unless Japan can defend itself, its fate will always be at the mercy of shallow US opinion.”

Her unique perspective on the issue of Japanese self-sufficiency sprouted from her time spent in the U.S. working under Democrat Patricia Schroeder, a prominent congresswoman known for her criticism of Japan. Takaichi reportedly wanted to understand the American perspective of Japan and most likely kindled a deep belief in Japanese autonomy while working under a congresswoman who disliked Japan.

Takaichi’s policies on immigration are also very conservative – while she’s willing to admit skilled foreign laborers to ease Japan’s growing labor shortage, Takaichi generally wants to cut down on mass migration, especially those just immigrating for personal financial gain. Takaichi also holds very conservative views on women’s rights and gender equality. She wants to keep traditional gender roles in society by making it harder for women to keep their maiden names after marriage (it should be noted, however, that Takaichi kept her maiden name after marriage), opposes same-sex marriage, and promotes a male-only succession of the Japanese royal family.

Some of the most controversial actions Takaichi has taken, especially controversial amongst her political enemies and foreign observers, were her visits to the Yasukuni Shrine. The Shrine honors the spirits of Japanese soldiers killed in action in WWII, including convicted war criminals. Recently, she has stopped going to the Shrine to avoid political and diplomatic backlash, a wise move considering her new position.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been reportedly very supportive of Takaichi, which makes a lot of sense given their ultra-conservative views. They both come from the most conservative sub-groups within their conservative parties and share very similar views on immigration, which is one of Trump’s biggest focuses. Both were big advocates and friends of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest serving Prime Minister, who was assassinated in 2022 after ruling for about 9 years (2006-2007, 2012-2020). 

As a result, Trump and Takaichi have been building a friendly relationship with each other and are slated to meet in person in Japan next month. In a recent social media post on X (formerly Twitter), Takaichi stated, “I was very pleased to receive such warm words of congratulations from @realDonaldTrump. Truly hoping to work together with President Trump to make our alliance even stronger & more prosperous, and to advance a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”

In the end, Sanae Takaichi’s win and her views have caused controversy not only with the people of her country, but throughout the world. Despite this, only time will tell if Takaichi’s conservative approach to governing Japan will yield beneficial results. Her victory marks a massive milestone for gender equality in Japanese politics and her legacy as Japan’s first-ever female Prime Minister is sure to last for centuries.

Sources: 

Who is Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister? : NPR

Sanae Takaichi: Meet Japan’s drum-playing, Thatcher-loving first female PM

As Japan’s opposition circles around a unity bid, Takaichi’s route to power narrows