Sanae Takaichi is on track to make history as Japan’s first female prime minister after being elected leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Saturday. The victory positions her to face a parliamentary vote later this month, a contest expected to favor the LDP chief given the fractured opposition.
Takaichi inherits a party grappling with the loss of its majorities in both chambers of the legislature, declining public support, and a younger generation of voters turning to smaller populist parties amid rising living costs and increased immigration. She immediately signaled a no-nonsense approach to governance, telling LDP lawmakers: “Rather than feeling happy right now, I am thinking about the hardships that are yet to come. There is a mountain of things that we must accomplish together… I would like to see you work like horses. I’m going to abandon the phrase ‘work-life balance.’” Her speech elicited laughter from the party ranks.
The leadership race began with five contenders, with Takaichi ultimately winning a run-off against political scion Shinjiro Koizumi, securing 185 votes to his 156. She also garnered stronger support among the party’s roughly 916,000 rank-and-file members.
A protege of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a self-professed admirer of former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi is known for her fiscally expansionist, politically right-wing stances. She advocates pro-stimulus policies, pledging “responsible” fiscal activism to boost growth while keeping monetary policy loose, a position that could influence markets by weakening the yen, boosting stocks, and increasing long-term government debt yields.
Diplomatically, Takaichi may face an early test with U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to Asia, where discussions could include trade deals, investment funds, and defense spending obligations. She has also indicated plans to continue visiting Tokyo’s Yasukuni shrine, a move likely to provoke China, given its historical symbolism.
As Takaichi prepares for a press conference later Saturday, Japan stands on the brink of a historic political moment, balancing continuity with Abe-inspired policies, fiscal stimulus, and the growing pressures of a changing electorate.
