Japan's Iron Lady: Sanae Takaichi set to become first female PM

Japan’s ruling conservative party has chosen Sanae Takaichi as its new leader, potentially paving the way for her to become the country’s first female prime minister.

According to the BBC, Takaichi, 64, is among the party’s more conservative figures, aligned with its right-wing faction. A former government minister, TV host, and heavy metal drummer, she is one of Japan’s best-known political personalities, though also a controversial one.

Her path forward will be challenging. She must confront a sluggish economy, rising inflation, stagnant wages, and the ongoing pressures on Japanese households. Additionally, she will need to manage the US-Japan relationship and finalise a tariff agreement with the Trump administration, originally negotiated by the previous government.

A major task will be uniting the party after recent turbulence, which included scandals and internal conflicts. Last month, outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, whose term lasted just over a year, announced his resignation following a string of election defeats that cost the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) its majority in both parliamentary chambers.

Prof. Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies at Temple University in Tokyo, told the BBC that Takaichi is unlikely to heal the party’s internal divisions. “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,” he said, noting that Takaichi belongs to the LDP’s “hardline” faction, which believes the party’s decline stemmed from losing touch with its right-wing base.

Takaichi has long admired Britain’s first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, and many view her rise as the realisation of her own “Iron Lady” ambition. Yet she faces criticism from women voters who do not see her as an advocate for gender progress.

“She calls herself Japan’s Margaret Thatcher. In terms of fiscal discipline, she’s anything but Thatcher,” Prof. Kingston said. “But like Thatcher, she’s not much of a healer. I don’t think she’s done much to empower women.”

Takaichi holds firmly conservative views. She opposes legislation allowing women to retain their maiden names after marriage, saying it conflicts with tradition, and she is against same-sex marriage. A protégé of the late former leader Shinzo Abe, she has pledged to revive his economic policies, known as Abenomics, which focus on high fiscal spending and cheap borrowing.

On security, Takaichi is hawkish, advocating constitutional revisions to Japan’s pacifist charter. She is also a regular visitor to the controversial Yasukuni shrine, where Japan’s war dead, including convicted war criminals, are memorialised.

Her confirmation by parliament appears likely, though it will not be automatic as with her predecessors. The LDP is now in a weaker position, having lost its majority in both houses of parliament.

By Tamilla Hasanova