Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae Takes Charge
October 21, 2025, marked a historic first for Japan. The Japanese Diet elected Takaichi Sanae, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), to the country’s highest office. As Japan’s first female prime minister, Takaichi brings a fresh face to a country that has struggled with gender equality, especially in politics. But as prime minister, Takaichi will take on a complex agenda. By the end of next week, she will meet the leaders of the United States, China, South Korea, and others at a round of Asian multilateral gatherings.
But the bigger task may still be managing the politics at home. Takaichi leads a party that has slipped severely in popularity, and new younger parties have risen to pose a serious challenge to the idea that only the LDP can generate good ideas for governing Japan. Serious losses in both Lower House and Upper House elections this past year forced the LDP to form its government from the minority. A long-standing coalition with the Komeitō helped, but this fell apart when Komeitō president, Saitō Tetsuo, failed to gain Takaichi’s agreement to limit corporate funding of political parties. Takaichi apologized for losing Komeitō but worked quickly to craft a new coalition with the Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party). This secured support for her bid to become prime minister, but the coalition document released on Monday suggests that work still needs to be done to clarify shared goals. Ishin’s leaders, Fujita Fumitake and Osaka Governor Yoshimura Hirofumi, told their members on Sunday that they will wait and see how the LDP fulfills its promises. Takaichi will need to manage this new relationship carefully to keep this new partner on side.
Within her party, Japan’s new prime minister also has some bridges to build. Three out of four competitors for the LDP leadership are included in her new cabinet. The fourth, Kobayashi Takayuki, became head of the influential LDP policy research council. But the larger issue of the party’s identity may take time to resolve. A series of money-in-politics (seji to kane) scandals, growing differences over policy priorities, and lingering personal rivalries still plague the conservatives. The demand for new fundraising rules for political parties comes from opposition parties but also from within her own party. Economic challenges will undoubtedly be at the top of her priority list, given cost-of-living concerns expressed by Japanese voters, but there is no consensus within the LDP on how to fund short-term aid to households while crafting a longer-term growth strategy. When the LDP ruled from the legislative majority, either on its own or in coalition with Komeitō, these differences could be managed in-house. But now Takaichi will need to craft agreements with opposition parties to pass the government budget and legislate new policy initiatives while keeping her own party and her new coalition partner aligned.
Japan’s new prime minister will also have a full foreign policy plate. She is expected to welcome President Donald J. Trump to Tokyo over the weekend, a comfortable setting at home for a new prime minister. But it is her own policy preferences that will likely ensure a positive meeting. Takaichi has been dedicated to improving Japan’s defenses and is the author of the LDP party document that advocated for Japan’s decision to raise security spending to 2 percent of GDP. She is bullish on the U.S.-Japan alliance and emphasized after her party leadership win her intention to build on the trilateral security cooperation arrangements developed with South Korea, Australia and the Philippines. Takaichi and Trump are likely to find common cause in their hawkish stance towards China.
Takaichi’s diplomatic skill will be tested in Seoul as she is expected to meet with leaders of two important regional neighbors, China and South Korea. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ spokesperson stated that China hopes “that Japan honors its political commitments on major issues such as history and the Taiwan question.” Takaichi has been a long-standing advocate of the Japan-Taiwan relationship. President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan also congratulated Takaichi on her nomination as prime minister.
President Lee Jae-myung, host of the APEC meeting, has congratulated Takaichi on her win and expressed his hope that she will continue the shuttle diplomacy that has been effective of late in bringing Japan and South Korea closer. In the past, Takaichi has been critical of South Korean claims against Japan for unresolved wartime legacies.
Takaichi Sanae has spent over thirty years in elected office to emerge as Japan’s leader. She has repeatedly served in the Japanese cabinet, most notably as the Minister of State for Economic Security. She is known for her policy savvy, her straightforward style, and her sturdy adherence to traditional conservative values. She was not born into politics; she made her own way through the labyrinth of male-dominated conservative party rivalries. She claims Margaret Thatcher as her role model, and Abe Shinzō as her mentor.
As Japan’s prime minister, she faces a set of political and strategic challenges that few would envy. She will have to rule from the minority, consolidate a new coalition, and prepare for her party to make a comeback in the next election. Takaichi will need to help Japanese citizens feel more economically secure while restructuring national finances. Abroad, Takaichi will need to partner with Trump to keep Japan’s crucial alliance intact even as the regional and global order falters. And, she will need to confront a new global axis of challenge to Japan’s interests: the strategic alignment of China, Russia and North Korea.
Not a job for the faint of heart, regardless of gender.
