Takaichi Sanae Conservative who becomes the first PM woman in Japan

Takaichi Sanae narrowly won the race for the leadership of the right -wing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Saturday, positioning her to become the first woman Prime Minister of History in Japan.

Japan is preparing for a special election to replace Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, who announcement His resignation in September after a few humiliating defeats for his party in the polls. Ishiba was also faced with public assembly anxiety about the alleged plans to open Japan to mass migration in Africa.

Takaichi, 64, was still considered one of the best contenders In the fast and sudden race to succeed Ishiba, after finishing second in the previous elections. In the Homestretch, his toughest opponent was Koizumi Shinjiro, an Ishiba ally who would have become the youngest Prime Minister of Japanese history at 44 if he had won.

Takaichi won The first voting series for the LDP leadership with 183 votes, but Koizumi ran a second place with 164, triggering a runoff between the two. Takaichi won the runoff on Saturday with 185 votes to the 156 Koizumi, surprising many observers who thought that the party would play it safer by choosing Koizumi.

Takaichi made very specific political maneuvers to reposition himself as a slightly more moderate candidate than she was in the leadership race in 2021, but also more in tune with people’s populism. In some respects, his “moderation” was more a question of the LDP moving to the right and leaving it closer to the middle.

The Takaichi platform in 2025 included tax reductions on petrol, as well as other subsidies for local governments and taxpayers in difficulty. She promised more pro-commune policies in phase with her mentor, the late Abe Shinzo, who was murdered In July 2022 after leaving office. His other major political inspiration was British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, whom Takaichi often emulates in his wardrobe choices.

Bloomberg News Monday extended That a wave of popular support for Takaichi persuaded the LDP to choose it above Koizumi, which was far in the predictive markets until a few days before the management of management. Investors also seemed very happy by the Tour of Japan to his own thatcharite “Iron Lady”, organizing an epic rally on the Nikkei Stock Exchange on Monday morning.

Note that Japanese actions have skyrocketed under Abe, but have lagging behind after his departure, Bloomberg said his disciple Takaichi had won the elections by promising “to administer a second dose of Abenomics”. It could even be able to perfect the formula, which has been hampered by ABE by a reluctance to shake up Japanese corporate culture, but it will struggle against tides of popular displeasure with high inflation.

The diplomat recognized Takaichi’s clever populist attraction, comparing her to American president Donald Trump, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, France Marine Le Pen, and the alternative to the rapid height for Germany (AFD).

“Takaichi’s rise reflects a broader global trend in which right -wing and far -right politicians gain ground while populist parties are expanding their influence. The trend is fueled by anti-globalism, immigration problems and prolonged economic stagnation “,” The diplomat Sighed, clearly not excited by this populist trend.

The Takaichi campaign was very in line with the apprehension of the Japanese public on mass migration, which is increasingly presented as the only solution for the demographic decline in Japan. Of course, international media characterization This while Japan becoming more “anti-strangers” or xenophobic, but the Japanese have always been more selective than most Western countries on immigration, and they believe that events in Europe and America have given them good reasons to worry about a wave of migration in terms of replacement.

There is also growing discomfort in Japan with a contingent of Kurdish refugees, very low according to the standards of refugee populations in most countries of 2,000 members, and with the influence of China on Japanese politics and affairs.

Takaichi stole some thunder in Sanseito, the Small but fast growing Japanese party who is most explicitly devoted to resistance to globalism and migration. The five contenders for LDP leaders promised to protect Japanese citizenship, but Takaichi was the most committed to these promises – and she notably refused to insult Japanese citizens concerned with immigration as insane xenophobes.

“If the public really feels anxious, we must find a path to resolve these concerns. It is not xenophobia or exclusion”, it said During his campaign.

“The basis of coexisting with foreign nationals is that the two parties respect the rules. I wanted to show that I take the public concerns seriously, ”she said.

A notable question on which Takaichi moderated his position was the Yasukuni sanctuary, a secular sanctuary in Tokyo dedicated to soldiers who died in the service of Japan. Some of the Imperial Japan officers who fought during the Second World War who are buried in the sanctuary were classified As war criminals, public visits to politicians to pay tribute have become controversial.

Takaichi was somewhat combative about her frequent Yasukuni visits in the past, but in her campaign in 2025, she has taken a lighter touch, declaring that such visits are a “private commitment” that should not be fodder for public debate. She said that she always believed that the sanctuary should be respected as a “central installation in our country to honor the dead of war”, and would like to “help to create this environment”, but she did not undertake to visit Yasukuni while she was the Prime Minister in office.

Takaichi’s ascent to the Prime Minister is not entirely assured, although it is very likely. The LDP power coalition has lost its majority in the two chambers of the National Parliament under Ishiba, which is one of the main reasons why it has resigned.

Under the Japanese system, the low house of the national regime – known, like its American counterpart, as the House of Representatives – votes first for the Prime Minister, and has upper power To choose the PM if the upper room does not agree. The LDP remains the dominant party of Japan, and it was able to use the strength of its parliamentary coalition to secure the Prime Minister’s office in every year except five years of the post-war period.

The final vote for the Prime Minister is generally not held as long as the votes have not been locked behind the scenes, and since LDP is weaker than usual for the moment, some observers to wait for An unusually long delay between elections to the LDP management and parliamentary vote.