Japan’s First Almost Female Prime Minister: Iron-willed Sanae Takaichi

October 7th, 2025
Sarah Kumar

On October 4, veteran conservative politician Sanae Takaichi won the leadership election within Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). She received 185 votes; in comparison, her opponent Shinjiro Koizumi received 156 votes in the second-round runoff. Since the LDP controls the largest part of the lower Japanese parliament and supports Takaichi, it is expected that at the parliament meeting later this month, Takaichi will be confirmed as Japan’s first female prime minister. Her expected election is seen as a historic event after 75 years of only male leadership. Her party would also signal a fundamental shift to hardline and nationalist governance. The LDP has been losing public support due to the lack of economic growth and the cost of living increasing, so Takaichi’s win will likely benefit the party in a time of turbulence.

Who is she?

Sanae Takaichi was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1993. For a long time, she has been a conservative politician and a prominent member of the Liberal Democratic Party. Before serving in the House of Representatives in Japan, Takaichi held several other positions, including Minister for Economic Security and Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications. Along with her strong nationalist views, she has also positioned herself as a defender of traditional Japanese values, previously aligning herself with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who pushed for conservative social and constitutional reformation.

Despite her landmark position as the first woman to lead Japan, she has opposed multiple progressive gender policies, for same-sex marriages and joint surnames for married couples.

Why does it matter?

Her political career and current position are not just historic for Japan but for global gender politics. Only 10% of Japan’s lower house is women, which is why Japan is ranked lower among nations with female political representation. Her pending appointment would make her the first female prime minister of Japan. However, her leadership is often described as rigid and ideological, so many are waiting to see if she will advance gender equality or continue supporting the party’s traditional male-dominated structure.

Her stance on foreign policy, particularly for China and Taiwan, could increase tensions and cause turbulence when East Asian security is already fragile.

Political Outlook

Takaichi will be taking over a weakened party: the LDP has recently lost seats in both Houses in Parliament and lost a large amount of public support. Judging from her previous support of the Abenomics strategy—named after assassinated Prime Minister Shinzo Abe—she is expected to follow a modified version of it, mainly through tax cuts and economic deregulation.

Her immediate challenge will not only be in uniting the fractured party, but also facing down a strong opposition party and public pressure to cause change in the economic situation. This will be especially true since past LDP leaders have failed to deliver results that curb inflation or raise wages.

Conclusion

Sanae Takaichi’s rise in Japan marks a bittersweet moment: a woman taking a place in Japan’s highest political position while furthering policies that reinforce the barriers that she broke to get there. As Japan’s first female prime minister, she is starting at a time of economic instability and regional tension.