How Takaichi broke the glass ceiling to become Japan’s first female leader

His election marks the beginning of a new political stage amid internal challenges and global tensions, and he has already received congratulations from several international leaders.

The new Executive will combine political continuity and symbolic gestures, such as the decision to award key ministries to all the rivals that Takaichi defeated in the PLD primaries, in an attempt to reinforce internal unity and stabilize the party.

Shinjiro Koizumi will take over the Ministry of Defense, Toshimitsu Motegi will be the new head of Foreign Affairs and Yoshimasa Hayashi will direct Internal Affairs. But the most significant designation will be that of Satsuki Katayama as Minister of Finance, which will make her the first woman to hold that position in the country’s history, a fact that expands the historic character of the newly inaugurated Takaichi Government.

Despite this effort for cohesion, the investiture has not been a bed of roses. Kōmeitō, the conservative Buddhist party that was a government partner for almost a quarter of a century, left the coalition after deep disagreements over policy direction and some key measures, leaving the LDP in a fragile parliamentary position.

The center-left opposition tried to agree on an alternative candidate to stop their coming to power, but they were unable to gather enough support. Faced with this scenario, Takaichi reacted quickly and pragmatically, sealing a new alliance with the Japan Innovation Party (JIP) and other smaller groups, which has allowed her to secure the majority necessary to be invested as prime minister.

The speed with which Takaichi has woven his alliance with the JIP demonstrates his political skill, but also leaves questions about the coherence of a Government assembled against the clock. His leadership will be tested in a complex scenario, where he will have to balance tensions with China and the United States and, at the same time, regain the confidence of markets and investors in a country weighed down by economic weakness and a structural demographic crisis.

The new prime minister inherits a Japan hit by inflation, the rising cost of living and a chronic shortage of labor, especially in the health and service sectors. Despite the need for foreign workers, public opinion remains reticent and immigration policy is restrictive.

In parallel, the extreme right is gaining space and setting the agenda on identity and immigration, a phenomenon that threatens to further polarize society. In this context, Takaichi must offer credible economic solutions and governance gestures that restore stability and lay the foundations for a lasting demographic and productive transformation.

On the international stage, the first big test for Sanae Takaichi will arrive in a matter of days: the visit of the US president, Donald Trumpscheduled for the end of the month.

The meeting will serve to gauge the harmony between both leaders and set the course of the strategic alliance between Washington and Tokyo. Takaichi, who shares with Trump a nationalist rhetoric and a populist political style, could find some ideological affinity, but he will have to balance it with pragmatism to protect Japan’s commercial and security interests.

On the table will be the tariff agreement and the renewal of defense cooperation, two key issues at a time of growing regional instability and uncertainty about the role of the Americans in the Indo-Pacific.

Falcon and heavy metal

The rise of Sanae Takaichi It occurs at a particularly delicate moment for the LDP, which has governed Japan almost uninterruptedly since 1955, but is going through one of the most serious crises of confidence in its recent history.

The scandals of irregular financing and corruption that have plagued several of its leaders, together with persistent inflation and the chronic weakness of the yen, have deteriorated the image of the party and fueled citizen disenchantment. In this context, Takaichi’s arrival is intended to be a breath of renewal within continuity: an attempt to reaffirm leadership without breaking with the conservative orthodoxy that characterizes the PLD.

Considered an authentic falcon national security expert and former political protégé of the late Prime Minister Shinzo AbeTakaichi was first elected as an MP in 1993 as an independent for her home constituency of Nara, near Osaka.

The daughter of a police officer and an automobile worker, she graduated in Business Administration from Kobe University and worked as a parliamentary intern in the United States Congress before launching her political career.

Lover of motorcycles and heavy metal During her adolescence, she was a television presenter in her youth and played drums in university groups, a facet that contrasts with her current image as a strong, disciplined and ultra-conservative leader.

Self-confessed admirer of the former British Prime Minister Margaret ThatcherTakaichi has been baptized by the Japanese press as the country’s “Iron Lady,” a nickname that reflects both her inflexible character and her ideological orientation.

During the recent contest for the leadership of the LDP, he defended an economic line that would continue with the policies of his mentor Shinzo Abe: a reissue of the Abenomics based on expansive public spending, monetary relaxation and structural reforms to boost competitiveness and domestic consumption.

In the social and diplomatic field, his profile is markedly conservative. He opposes marriage between people of the same sex, rejects making immigration more flexible and defends that the imperial succession continue to give priority to men.

In foreign policy, it is considered a China hawk (a “hawk” against Beijing), in favor of strengthening the country’s military capabilities and maintaining the the state in which in the Taiwan Strait. His repeated visits to Taipei and his tributes at the Yasukuni Shrine—where war criminals from World War II rest alongside the fallen—have provoked angry reactions from both China and South Korea, reinforcing his image as a nationalist and defiant leader on the Asian stage.

Japanese first

Along these lines, Takaichi articulates his message by appealing to the protection of Japanese identity and values, reinforcing the idea that excessive openness to “external cultures” could alter the cohesion and social stability of the country.

Its approach combines a narrative of security and order with a vision of national priority that seeks to reassure those who perceive that globalization and mass tourism threaten the traditional way of life. For his critics, however, These positions could intensify exclusion and fuel tensions with foreign communities already present in Japan..

At the same time, the new leader does not limit her speech to rhetoric: she proposes concrete measures that include stricter immigration controls, strengthened supervision of foreign investments and stricter regulations on tourism in sensitive areas.

Analysts point out that these policies, beyond their practical application, function as symbols of authority and firmness in the face of an electorate increasingly concerned about the demographic and cultural changes in the country. Takaichi’s tone thus reflects a Japan that looks toward preserving its identity in a globalized context, an approach that resonates with populist and conservative movements in other regions of the world.

In line with his conservative approach, Takaichi has repeatedly defended a traditional family model and reaffirmed the priority of male succession in the imperial family, as well as his opposition to same-sex marriage or to married couples being able to keep different surnames.

This position reflects her vision of society and the role of women, linked to traditional values ​​that she considers pillars of social stability.

However, these positions have raised concern in various sectors, from human rights organizations to international companies, which warn of possible repercussions on Japan’s global image and the country’s ability to attract talent in a context of accelerated population aging.

Interestingly, amid her strong advocacy for these values, Takaichi has shown a more personal and pragmatic side when addressing women’s health issues, such as her own experiences with menopause.

By underlining the importance of educating men in this area, it introduces a more modern and sensitive nuance that, although it does not modify its central ideological line, suggests a certain openness towards discussions about equality and well-being within Japanese society.

Exterior redefinition

At the international level, Takaichi’s management will take place in a context of uncertainty about the United States’ position in Asia, with Washington whose policy towards its allies remains unpredictable.

Although the Japanese leader has reiterated her commitment to the bilateral alliance, she has made it clear that will review strategic agreements, including the investment pact valued at $550 billionwhenever it perceives a risk to Japan’s national interests.

This attitude reflects a more assertive approach, in which Tokyo seeks to consolidate itself not only as a reliable partner, but as an actor with its own decision-making capacity in the regional security architecture.

At the same time, the nationalism that characterizes Takaichi and his willingness to adopt firm stances against Beijing or Pyongyang could complicate diplomatic relations in Asia.

Although it continues to support cooperation with the US, South Korea and the Philippines to confront regional threats, experts warn that too much confrontation with China could leave Japan in a position of isolation, especially if US involvement in the region diminishes.

The challenge, therefore, will be to balance firmness with diplomacy, protecting national interests without compromising the room for maneuver that Japan needs to consolidate its leadership in the Indo-Pacific.

The Takaichi era wants to project itself as a longer period than its predecessors—four in the last five years: Shinzo Abe, Yoshihide Suga, Fumio Kishida and the outgoing Shigeru Ishiba— in which Japan will attempt to redefine its role on the regional and global stage.

A more determined and autonomous leadership, but necessarily vigilant against the risks of excessive tensions that could limit its strategic options and its international influence.