On October 21st, 2025, Japanese parliament made history by electing Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female Prime Minister (BBC). While her victory marks a major milestone, breaking a barrier that stood for the parliament’s 140-year history (Prime Minister’s Office of Japan), critics are questioning whether her rise truly represents progress for women overall.
Takaichi’s political views place her firmly on the conservative end of Japanese politics. She is a senior figure in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the center-right party that has dominated Japan’s government almost continuously since the 1950s. The LDP is known for its emphasis on economic stability, strong U.S.–Japan relations, and cautious social reform (Politico).
As a hardline conservative, Takaichi’s views echo those of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, one of her political mentors, as well as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Takaichi remains a follower of “Abenomics,” an economic principle established by Shinzo Abe built on high public spending with cheap borrowing from banks. Takaichi expands on Abenomics with her own public spending goals, branding her economic policy as “Sanaenomics.” Through Sanaenomics, she pledges to strengthen relations with the United States via a $550 billion investment in exchange for lower taxes and increased investment into public necessities (such as food) as well as emerging industries (technology and AI). Critics express concern regarding Japanese inflation and the risks associated with the reintroduction of Abe-era–inspired economics, citing the lack of longevity for public investment (The Conversation).
While her inspiration from Abe is economic, her inspiration drawn from Thatcher leans symbolic, as she cites her admiration for the Prime Minister’s “womanly warmth,” contrasted by her strong character and convictions. Like Thatcher, Takaichi’s upbringing was humble and without prior political connections. She was not born elite and only had the opportunity to meet Thatcher at a symposium prior to her death in 2013 (Reuters). Takaichi regards the experience as “life-changing,” and the press has since dubbed Takaichi herself “Japan’s Iron Lady” (The Hill).
Although Takaichi’s election is groundbreaking, many analysts argue that it is unlikely to usher in major gains for women’s rights. Japan has long ranked low in global gender-equality metrics. According to the 2025 Global Gender Gap Report, Japan sits at 118th out of 148 countries, with particularly low scores in political representation (WGBH). Women hold only about 16% of seats in the lower house of parliament, a record high but still far from proportionate representation (The Diplomat). When forming her first Cabinet, she appointed only two women out of nineteen ministers, a move that drew criticism from gender-equality advocates (The Guardian). While she promised during her campaign to increase women’s representation even claiming her Cabinet would be comparable to Nordic countries—her appointments did not reflect that pledge (Tribune Content Agency).
Further criticism toward Takaichi and her role as the first female Prime Minister stems from her commitment to maintaining conservative gender roles, including keeping the law requiring married couples to share a last name and upholding the ban on female succession to the Japanese throne. While she advocates for these policies, she herself has maintained her last name and a political leadership position (Cornell).
While she remains a controversial figure, Takaichi’s election has set Japan in motion to become a stronger ally of the United States. On October 28th, Takaichi met with President Donald Trump for the first time, and it is reported the two leaders bonded not only over shared perspectives on policy but also over golfing and sumo wrestling. The American president described Takaichi as “a delight,” their meeting reaffirming positive relations between the U.S. and Japan. As Trump continues navigating his contentious relationship with Xi Jinping, his reaffirmation of Takaichi as an ally sends a powerful reminder that the U.S. isn’t alone in the region (CNN).
Sources
BBC – https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkj5e73xkmo
CNN – https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/31/asia/us-japan-trump-takaichi-analysis-intl-hnk
The Conversation – https://theconversation.com/japans-new-leader-revives-abes-economic-vision-with-a-twist-268055
The Diplomat – https://thediplomat.com/2025/10/takaichi-sanaes-rise-highlights-the-gender-paradox-in-japanese-politics
The Guardian – https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/21/sanae-takaichi-japan-first-female-pm-appoints-two-women-to-cabinet
The Hill – https://thehill.com/opinion/international/5581790-japan-first-female-prime-minister/
Prime Minister’s Office of Japan – https://japan.kantei.go.jp/past_cabinet/index.html
Tribune Content Agency – https://tribunecontentagency.com/article/takaichi-sanaes-rise-highlights-the-gender-paradox-in-japanese-politics