Tokyo | October 21, 2025- In a political moment that will be etched in Japan’s history, Sanae Takaichi has become the country’s first female Prime Minister, marking a significant milestone in a nation where political power has long been the domain of men. Yet, while her appointment breaks a gender barrier, it also introduces a paradox — Takaichi represents the ultraconservative core of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a party often criticised for resisting social change.
At 64, Takaichi’s rise to leadership within the LDP is both hard-won and deeply symbolic. For decades, she has been a steady figure in Japan’s conservative circles, steadily climbing the ranks of a party that has traditionally sidelined women from its inner circles. Her victory in the leadership race against Shinjiro Koizumi was a surprise to many political observers, cementing her as the new face of Japan’s right-wing establishment.
While her gender has earned her international recognition, within Japan, her triumph is viewed less as a step forward for women’s empowerment and more as a continuation of the LDP’s entrenched power dynamics — now under the leadership of a woman who shares the party’s traditionalist ideology. Takaichi’s political journey is rooted in her admiration for strong conservative figures like Margaret Thatcher.
Often described as “Japan’s Iron Lady”, she embraces a tough stance on national security, economic discipline, and family values.
Critics argue that while her ascent shatters one glass ceiling, her policies fortify others — particularly those that limit women’s broader participation and freedom in Japan’s social and professional spaces.In forming her new cabinet, Takaichi appointed only two women out of nineteen ministers, prompting debate over the depth of her commitment to gender equality. Observers note that while she embodies a symbolic first, her leadership style appears to maintain the LDP’s longstanding hierarchy — a framework that has kept women largely on the sidelines of policymaking.
Political analysts in Tokyo describe her government as “a victory for tradition wearing the face of change.” The symbolism of Japan’s first female leader is undeniable, but the substance of reform may prove elusive. Takaichi’s administration is expected to take a firmer stance on defence and foreign affairs. Her views are strongly nationalist, and she has been a vocal advocate for expanding Japan’s military capabilities in the face of regional tensions with China and North Korea.
Domestically, she inherits an economy grappling with stagnation, a declining population, and rising social welfare costs. Her promise to revive growth through a blend of stimulus and industrial innovation will test Japan’s economic resilience — and her own political dexterity. Domestically, she inherits an economy grappling with stagnation, a declining population, and rising social welfare costs. Her promise to revive growth through a blend of stimulus and industrial innovation will test Japan’s economic resilience — and her own political dexterity.
Editorial View – White Horse Daily
Sanae Takaichi stands as a figure of contradiction — a woman breaking through the ultimate barrier in Japanese politics while firmly holding onto the very ideologies that have historically kept women from rising. Her premiership marks progress in form, but perhaps not yet in function.
Japan has found its first female leader. Whether it has found a transformational one remains to be seen.
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