Sanae Takaichi is about to make history. At 64, this seasoned conservative politician is set to become Japan’s first female Prime Minister. Her journey to the top has been long, marked by three attempts to lead the Liberal Democratic Party. She has often said she looks up to Britain’s “Iron Lady,” Margaret Thatcher.
Before her political career, Takaichi rocked out as a heavy metal drummer. She was known for breaking many drumsticks with her powerful playing. She’s also a keen deep-sea diver and a car enthusiast. Her beloved Toyota Supra now sits in a museum in Nara. Takaichi even spent some time as a television presenter.
She was born in Nara Prefecture in 1961. Her father was an office worker, and her mother was a police officer. Politics was far from her childhood. Her interest in government grew during the 1980s, a time when trade tensions between the United States and Japan were at their peak. She wanted to understand how Americans viewed Japan. This led her to work in the office of Patricia Schroeder, a Democratic Representative known for criticizing Japan.
While working there, Takaichi noticed Americans often mixed Japanese, Chinese, and Korean languages and foods. She saw Japan grouped with China and South Korea. She concluded that “If Japan cannot protect itself, its fate will always be under the influence of superficial U.S. opinions.”
Takaichi first ran for parliament as an independent in 1992 but lost. She kept pushing, winning a seat the very next year. She joined the LDP in 1996. Since then, she has been elected to parliament ten times, losing only once. She built a reputation as one of the party’s most outspoken conservative voices.
She has held high-ranking government jobs, including Minister of Economic Security. She also served as Minister of Trade and Industry, and Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, holding that post for the longest time ever.
In 2021, Takaichi first tried to become LDP leader but lost to Fumio Kishida. She tried again in 2024. She won the most votes in the first round but eventually lost to Shigeru Ishiba. This year, on her third try, she won. This victory will make her Japan’s first female Prime Minister once parliament approves her appointment. “My goal is to be an Iron Lady,” she told a group of students recently during a campaign stop.
Takaichi’s Political Blueprint
Takaichi is known as a strong conservative and a close follower of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. She promises to bring back “Abenomics,” his economic plan. This plan focused on high government spending and low-interest borrowing.
On social matters, she once opposed a law letting married women keep their maiden names. She argued it would damage old traditions. She also stood against same-sex marriage. However, during her recent campaign, she softened her stance. She pledged to push for measures to cut childcare costs. This includes allowing some childcare expenses to be tax-deductible. She also suggested corporate tax breaks for companies offering in-house childcare.
Her own life experiences and family drive many of her policy ideas. These include expanding women’s health services in hospitals. She also wants more recognition for domestic helpers and better options for elder care in Japan. “I have helped nurse and care for children three times in my life,” she explained. “That is why my commitment is even stronger to reduce the number of people forced to leave work due to caregiving, child-rearing, or children refusing to go to school. I want to create a society where people do not have to give up their careers.”
For national security, Takaichi regularly visits the Yasukuni Shrine. This shrine is controversial, as it honors Japan’s war dead, including war criminals. She also wants to ease the constitutional limits on Japan’s Self-Defense Forces.
The LDP has controlled Japanese politics since it started in 1955. But the party is now losing support. People are frustrated with a slow economy, a shrinking population, and general social unhappiness.
Takaichi sits on the right wing of the LDP. By electing her, the LDP hopes to win back conservative voters who have moved to the far-right Sanseito party. Sanseito, which ran on a “Japan First” slogan, recently grew its seats from one to 15. This shift has cost the LDP support. The LDP has lost its majority in both houses of parliament. Takaichi herself admitted this problem after winning the first round of elections. “We received strong criticism from core supporters, conservatives, and party members,” she said.
“The LDP must change for Japan’s sake, both now and in the future. We will always put national interests first. We will manage the country with balance.”
Source: BBC