Sanae Takaichi, a pro-stimulus conservative who became Japan’s first woman prime minister, is an energetic nationalist with admiration for the staunch politics of “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher and the heavy metal of the band Iron Maiden.
Takaichi broke the glass ceiling by becoming the country’s leader after a parliamentary vote this Tuesday.
His choice as leader is essentially a bet by the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) that a shift to the right will attract young voters who have flocked to smaller populist parties, including the ultra-conservative Sanseito.
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Even before becoming prime minister, Takaichi demonstrated firmness and the ability to turn adversity into advantage. His refusal to take further action over a party funding scandal sparked an unexpected rift in the ruling coalition earlier this month.
After more than 25 years of cooperation, the moderate Komeito party left the alliance, while Takaichi maintained his position. This increased the chances of the opposition trying to win the premiership. But Takaichi quickly struck a deal with the right-wing Innovation Party of Japan (Ishin), which is ideologically closer, to govern.
Still, Takaichi’s choice could backfire if the LDP is seen as merely returning to the easy-money policies and aggressive diplomacy of his mentor, former prime minister Shinzo Abe, without new ideas.
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Her rise will send ripples through a society dominated by men and poorly positioned in global gender equality rankings. But like Thatcher, his inspiration, Takaichi is far from progressive feminism. His legacy will depend less on advances for women and more on his ability to restore strength to a party in crisis after decades of postwar dominance.
“From an ordinary woman’s perspective, she is what one might call an ‘old man’ idol,” said Mieko Nakabayashi, a politics professor at Waseda University. “She expresses ‘old people’ opinions in a woman’s voice and that pleases them.”
His stay in office will depend on how he manages to unite the PLD, regain popular support and win over young voters. Without a parliamentary majority, it will need to build consensus with opposition parties to pass laws. The new coalition with Ishin has more seats in the lower house than the previous alliance with Komeito, but is still two seats short of a majority.
One of the first tasks will be to strengthen ties with Donald Trump, who plans to visit Japan next week. Takaichi was the most direct among the five candidates in the PLD leadership dispute about renegotiating parts of the trade agreement with the US. Although there will be no immediate renegotiation, she said Tokyo will assert its interests through appropriate channels.
On topics such as increasing defense spending and capabilities, containing Chinese influence and building U.S.-aligned supply chains, Takaichi should align well with Trump’s views. The agreement with Ishin gives the PLD a closer partner in defense and foreign policy. While Komeito sought to maintain smooth relations with Beijing and was cautious about defense exports, Ishin shares Takaichi’s concern about security vis-à-vis China and wants to strengthen the defense sector and deepen the alliance with the US.
The pact envisages removing all restrictions on defense exports by next year, building weapons factories operated by private companies and moving forward with a multi-year military investment program.
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For investors, the main concern is their penchant for growth-boosting spending and use of central bank stimulus — a combination that could keep the yen weak and lift long-term debt yields. A weak yen puts pressure on families and companies focused on the domestic market, but favors exporters and boosts stocks. The Nikkei 225 index hit a record high on Monday with the news of the new coalition.
On the campaign trail, Takaichi softened criticism of the Bank of Japan’s interest rate hike, which he called “stupid” last year. In a recent survey, it said rates should remain unchanged. She also suggested temporarily reducing the sales tax on food to zero and increasing the income tax exemption bracket.
Born on March 3, 1961, in Nara, she studied administration at Kobe University. In his youth, he rode a motorbike, played drums in a heavy metal band and is a fan of Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. She worked as a TV anchor before being elected deputy in 1993. Throughout her career, she gained a reputation for being studious and detail-oriented, avoiding social life with colleagues.
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As Abe’s protégé and conservative figure, her stance could raise caution in China. She has previously advocated visits to the controversial Yasukuni shrine, but recently avoided doing so so as not to create diplomatic friction. He also criticizes the increase in foreign presence in Japan and defends “Japan first” policies.
Despite breaking a glass ceiling, his positions against same-sex marriage and the adoption of different surnames by spouses indicate that his leadership may not mean advances in gender equality.
© 2025 Bloomberg L.P.
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