Japan’s political landscape shifted dramatically on October 4, 2025, when the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) elected Sanae Takaichi as its new leader, positioning her to become the nation’s first female prime minister. The 64-year-old conservative veteran, a fixture in Japanese politics for over three decades, now stands at the cusp of history—though her ascent comes at a moment of deep uncertainty for both her party and the country at large.
Takaichi’s victory was anything but a foregone conclusion. According to BBC, the LDP, once a seemingly unassailable force in Japanese politics, has been rocked by a series of scandals and internal rifts. The outgoing prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, was essentially pushed out after just over a year in office, following a string of election defeats that stripped the LDP and its coalition of their majority in both chambers of parliament. In the runoff, Takaichi defeated Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi by a margin of 185 to 156 votes, with her support drawn heavily from the party’s right wing and conservative prefectural chapters.
After her election, Takaichi addressed party members and the nation: “Together with so many of you, we have carved a new era for the LDP.” She acknowledged the party’s recent woes, saying, “Recently, I have heard harsh voices from across the country saying we don’t know what the LDP stands for anymore. That sense of urgency drove me. I wanted to turn people’s anxieties about their daily lives and the future into hope.”
Takaichi’s rise is remarkable not only for her gender but also for her ideological steadfastness. A protégé of the late Shinzo Abe, she has long championed his economic vision, known as Abenomics, which combines aggressive government spending with low interest rates to spur growth. She has even put her own spin on it, branding her approach “Sanaenomics”—a blend of expansionary fiscal policy and protectionist measures aimed at bolstering Japanese industry and economic security. As reported by GlobalSecurity.org, she is also a critic of the Bank of Japan’s recent interest rate hikes, arguing that tighter monetary policy could threaten the fragile recovery.
The economic challenges she faces are daunting. Inflation has been relentless, wages stagnant, and household budgets squeezed—issues that have eroded the LDP’s once-solid support base. The party’s choice of Takaichi over the more centrist Koizumi signals a bet that a return to conservative roots can win back voters who drifted toward emerging far-right groups in recent elections. Yet, as Professor Jeff Kingston of Temple University told BBC, “I think she’s in a good position to regain the right wing voters, but at the expense of wider popular appeal, if they go into a national election.”
Takaichi’s policy positions are unambiguously conservative. She is a vocal advocate for revising Japan’s pacifist constitution, especially Article 9, which renounces war and prohibits the maintenance of military forces for aggressive purposes. She has floated the idea of a “quasi-security alliance” with Taiwan—a move certain to provoke Beijing—and has consistently taken a hawkish stance on national security. Her foreign policy will be tested almost immediately: a summit with US President Donald Trump is reportedly being planned for late October, coinciding with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea. Takaichi has stated her intent to “reaffirm and reinforce” the Japan-US alliance, including trilateral cooperation with Washington, South Korea, Australia, and the Philippines.
But Takaichi’s nationalism has also drawn controversy. She is a regular visitor to Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan’s war dead—including leaders convicted of war crimes after World War II. Visits by Japanese leaders to the shrine routinely spark outrage in China and South Korea, where memories of Japan’s wartime aggression remain raw. When pressed about whether she would visit the shrine as prime minister, Takaichi demurred, saying only that she would “consider how to appropriately console the souls of the dead and pray for peace,” and insisted the shrine should not be made into a diplomatic issue.
Her approach to gender and social policy is equally complex. Despite breaking multiple glass ceilings—she was the first woman to serve as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and the longest-serving in that role—Takaichi is not regarded as an advocate for feminist causes or progressive gender equality. She opposes allowing married couples to keep separate surnames, a reform long sought by women’s rights advocates, and she stands against same-sex marriage. “She calls herself Japan’s Margaret Thatcher. In terms of fiscal discipline, she’s anything but Thatcher,” Professor Kingston told BBC. “But like Thatcher she’s not much of a healer. I don’t think she’s done much to empower women.”
Her comment about abandoning the term “work-life balance” in favor of “work, work, work and work” quickly trended on Japanese social media, sparking a flurry of debate over her work ethic and priorities. Some lauded her drive, while others worried it signaled a lack of empathy for the struggles of ordinary workers—especially women trying to balance careers and family life in a country where gender equality remains elusive. Japan currently ranks poorly on global measures of gender parity, with women comprising only about fifteen percent of the lower house and just two of forty-seven prefectural governors.
Takaichi’s personal story is as unconventional as her politics. Born in Nara Prefecture on March 7, 1961, she attended Kobe University before earning a master’s degree at the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management in the United States. Her international experience shaped her worldview, though she has become best known for her staunchly nationalist positions. A self-proclaimed admirer of Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi also boasts some colorful hobbies—she was once a drummer in a heavy metal band and enjoys riding motorcycles.
Throughout her career, Takaichi has held a dizzying array of cabinet posts, including Minister of State for Gender Equality, Minister for Economic Security, and Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy. She currently leads the powerful Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyukai faction within the LDP, formerly associated with Shinzo Abe, giving her significant influence over party strategy and policy formation.
International reaction to her election has been mixed. While her strong stance on security has found support among those wary of China’s growing assertiveness, her historical revisionism and nationalist rhetoric have raised alarm bells in Beijing, Seoul, and among Western observers. At home, her conservative ideology could cause friction with the LDP’s junior coalition partner, Komeito, whose leadership has warned that a rightward shift could imperil their alliance.
Yet, for all the controversy, Takaichi’s rise marks a moment of real change in Japan’s political history. Whether she can unite her fractured party and restore public confidence remains to be seen. But as she prepares for a parliamentary vote of confirmation on October 15, all eyes are on her—and on the future direction of a nation at a crossroads.
