Sanae Takaichi Becomes First Female Prime Minister in Japanese History

What Happened?

On Tuesday, Sanae Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister. The sixty-four-year-old won a clear majority, capturing two hundred thirty-seven votes in the Lower House and another one hundred twenty-five in the Upper House. As leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Ms. Takaichi was a long-time protégé of Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister. Mr. Abe was assassinated in 2022. 

Despite the name, in Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party is what Americans would call conservative, embracing several conservative policy positions similar to some of those advocated by the Trump Administration.

Why it Matters

Japan has the world’s fourth-largest economy, and Ms. Takaichi is now Japan’s fourth prime minister in the last five years. All her predecessors had their tenure cut short by various political scandals. Her term will face significant domestic and international challenges and comes at a critical time for Japan.

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On the international front, Japan and South Korea have been improving their relations in order to counter the growing influence and power of China in the Pacific region. While relations are likely to continue to improve between South Korea and Japan, many in South Korea are concerned about Ms. Takaichi’s political philosophy, which is not only conservative but at times has leaned towards nationalism. 

Domestically, despite its economic prowess, Japan faces a demographic challenge as the nation’s birth rate has fallen well below what is needed to replace the current workforce. Without enough workers, Japan’s position as a global economic powerhouse will likely be in jeopardy in the future. People in Japan also enjoy an average life expectancy much higher than the global average, and the twin factors of a declining birth rate and long-life expectancy are slowly creating a shrinking and aging population for Japan.

Japan has also been a traditionally male-dominated society, where women have been excluded from business and politics. Ms. Takaichi experienced the challenge of being a woman in Japanese government early in her political career, where other members of Japan’s parliament regularly ignored her or held meetings without her. 

Ms. Takaichi is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in a few weeks, and while she is in favor of a stronger and more powerful Japan, she is also wary of the U.S. having too much influence over Japan. While Ms. Takaichi’s politics could not accurately be described as Japan first, she does believe in a high degree of independence for Japan and the preservation of Japanese culture. 

How it Affects You

Japan is a key American ally in the Pacific region. Japanese-U.S. relations have become stronger in the past decade because both seek to counter the rise of a more powerful China. Ms. Takaichi’s challenge will be to address Japan’s domestic and international priorities while maintaining good relations with the United States.

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