Sanae Takaichi becomes Japan’s first female prime minister
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Sanae Takaichi assumes the premiership amid concerns her nationalist agenda and heavy-spending plans could deepen divisions at home and abroad.
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Lawmakers applaud as Sanae Takaichi, standing, was elected for Japan's new prime minister during the extraordinary session of the lower house, in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. (AP)
Hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi was elected by parliament on Tuesday as Japan’s first female prime minister, after a turbulent few weeks of political maneuvering.
Takaichi, 64, won an all-male contest to lead the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on October 5. She then scrambled for support after the party’s more moderate coalition partner ended their 26-year alliance.
Analysts now focus on her big-spending plans, which may unsettle investors in one of the world’s most indebted economies, and her controversial stances, which could increase tensions with neighboring China.
‘Abenomics’ advocate with fiscal ambitions
A former economic security and interior minister, Takaichi is a long-time supporter of late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s “Abenomics” stimulus policies. She has called for higher government spending, tax cuts, and stronger oversight of the Bank of Japan, raising concerns among investors over fiscal discipline.
She has repeatedly cited Britain's late leader Margaret Thatcher as a role model, admiring her strength, conviction, and “womanly warmth.” Takaichi comes from a modest background: her mother was a police officer and her father worked at a car company.
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has chosen Sanae Takaichi, a conservative nationalist, as its new leader, paving the way for her to become the nation’s first female prime minister.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 4, 2025
Who is Sanae Takaichi, and who do her views align with?#Japan #SanaeTakaichi… pic.twitter.com/ez96OB9yzP
Takaichi is known for her nationalist leanings and bold public gestures, regularly visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan’s war dead, including convicted war criminals. She has also advocated revising Japan’s pacifist postwar constitution and suggested forming a “quasi-security alliance” with Taiwan. While pledging to increase the number of female cabinet ministers, her conservative social positions have tended to resonate more with male voters than with female ones.
Takaichi graduated from Kobe University with a degree in business management and served as a congressional fellow in the US Congress. She won her first lower house seat in 1993 as an independent before joining the LDP in 1996.
Japan’s stance on Russian energy
Amid her premiership, Takaichi inherits key foreign and economic decisions, including energy policy. Trade Minister Yoji Muto said Japan will act in its national interest while coordinating with the international community regarding Russian energy imports.
The US has urged Japan to stop buying Russian energy, in line with G7 commitments following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Japan continues to purchase LNG from Sakhalin-2, accounting for about 9% of its LNG imports and 3% of its electricity generation, citing its importance to energy security.
Analysts note that Japan is unlikely to halt these shipments in the near term, even as US and European pressure on Asian buyers intensifies.
Takaichi must also prepare for a visit from US President Donald Trump next week, a meeting that many observers say will test how far Japan is willing to align with Washington’s shifting agenda. Her election underscores Japan’s strategic importance to the US, yet questions remain over whether she can assert an independent course amid growing American pressure.
While her rise marks a symbolic breakthrough, doubts persist about how long her premiership can withstand economic headwinds, domestic divisions, and the strain of balancing nationalism with global diplomacy.
