Who Is Sanae Takaichi?: Portrait of Japan's First Female PM

Who Is Sanae Takaichi?: Portrait of Japan's First Female PM

contents Author's Note - Introduction - The "Real" Sanae Takaichi - Birth of Japan's First Female Prime Minister - "Divorce" After 26 Years - Rapid "Partner" Selection - "Iridescent" Agreement - Will the Coalition Agreement Be Realized "?" - The Takaichi Sanae Cabinet's Economic Policy - The "Risks" of Prime Minister Takaichi - [October 21, 2025 - Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's First Press Conference After Taking Office] - [October 24, 2025 - Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Policy Speech] Author's Note On October 21, 2025, Sanae Takaichi, President of the Liberal Democratic Party, won the prime ministerial nomination vote in the Diet and was elected as Japan's 104th Prime Minister. It was a historic day marking the birth of Japan's first female prime minister, 80 years after World War II. Takaichi first ran in the LDP presidential election in September 2021. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had suddenly resigned due to a recurrence of chronic illness, and his successor, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, announced he would not run in the next presidential election, leaving four candidates to effectively compete for the prime ministerial post without an incumbent. It was the first time in 13 years since former Defense Minister Yuriko Koike (current Tokyo Governor) in 2008 that a woman had run in an LDP presidential election. While the proportion of female Diet members has now risen to nearly 20 percent, at that time the ratio of women in both the LDP and the Diet was discouragingly low at around 10 percent. The "glass ceiling"—a barrier that has blocked women's advancement in Japanese politics. Takaichi was one of those who faced this same obstruction. In her first national election, she failed to secure LDP endorsement and ran as an independent, losing the race. After joining the LDP, she was blocked by old rules within the largest faction she belonged to and left. Then came success, jealousy, and setbacks. Furthermore, Shinzo Abe, a fellow freshman Diet member from the same year who had been her "backer," was shot and killed. Though female lawmakers competed to climb the ladder to the premiership, all were rebounded by the "wall." This journey is a magnificent anthem of an unbreakable spirit through wounds and suffering, delivering a heart-wrenching message. I have witnessed Takaichi's tumultuous and intense journey over nearly 20 years. In the political world where the term "nomi-nication" (drinking communication) exists and building relationships over drinks is valued, she distinguished herself from that culture, steadily honing her policies, gathering like-minded allies based on ideology and beliefs, and solidifying her position as a leading conservative politician. At times, with a stern expression, she pressed influential figures to implement or modify policies; at other times, with a gentle smile like a mother gazing at her child, she praised her comrades. When hitting walls, she sometimes voiced weakness along with a sense of deflation. However, her greatest appeal lies in the strong determination and ability to act with a "never give up" attitude that has led to this day. This book explores the "true nature" and "vision for the nation" of Prime Minister Takaichi—who she is, what drives her, and what kind of nation she aims to create. As we feel the dawn of a new era in Japanese politics, I hope this book will help readers understand the "true nature" and "vision for the nation" of Japan's first female top leader, and serve as an aid in charting Japan's course forward. Kei Ito