Sanae Takaichi Becomes Japan's First Female Prime Minister

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Sanae Takaichi Becomes Japan's First Female Prime Minister
Photo: Yoshikazu Tsuno/AP/TT

The role model is Britain's "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher. With a background as a hard-hitting drummer in a heavy metal band, Sanae Takaichi is now Japan's first female prime minister. She has promised to "work like a horse" to get Japan's economic wheels moving and the financial market seems to believe her.

64-year-old Sanae Takaichi, formerly minister for economic security, was elected at the beginning of October as the new leader of Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democrats (LDP). On Tuesday, she was approved in parliament, becoming Japan's fifth prime minister in as many years and the first woman in the post.

Triggered stock market surge

When the news came that Takaichi had been elected as LDP leader and thus heir to the prime minister's post, the stock market in Japan took a joyful leap on hopes that she, like her mentor and predecessor Shinzo Abe and his "Abenomics", would introduce fiscal stimulus measures and a more expansionary monetary policy.

It's probably those things that the market sees as potentially positive opportunities for the Japanese economy with her at the helm, says Patrik Ström, researcher and head of the Japan Institute at the Stockholm School of Economics.

He also notes that it's not when it comes to the economy that Takaichi has adopted Thatcher's policies.

Margaret Thatcher was not exactly a person with spending pants on.

Conservative stance

The similarities are found rather in the new prime minister's conservative stance on many other issues. She is, for example, against same-sex marriage, wants to see tougher measures when it comes to immigration, and is an advocate for male succession within the imperial family.

If you talk to younger Japanese women, she's probably not their favorite. One example of why is that she has expressed herself and said that she thinks women should take their husband's surname when they get married. And that's something that many in the younger generation think is very conservative.

Nordic ambitions

Even if young women in Japan are not overly hopeful about what Sanae Takaichi will be able to achieve in terms of increasing gender equality in the country, Patrik Ström believes that her accession will make a difference.

I think the signal value of Japan getting a female prime minister will be important. In the predecessor Shigeru Ishiba's government, there have been two women, and Takaichi has talked about having "Nordic ambitions" for her government. So it will be exciting to see how she will materialize that, says Patrik Ström.

Beatrice Nordensson/TT

Facts: Sanae Takaichi

TT

Sanae Takaichi was born in 1961 in Nara in western Japan.

In her youth, she played drums in a heavy metal band and was known for always carrying several drumsticks because she played hard and the sticks often broke.

She is also said to have had a great interest in cars and, according to the BBC, one of her former cars, a Toyota Supra, is on display at a museum in her hometown of Nara.

Before she entered politics, she worked briefly as a TV presenter.

She ran in her first parliamentary election in 1992 as an independent candidate but lost.

A year later, she was elected and joined the LDP in 1996.

Takaichi has held high government posts, including as minister for economic security and as minister for internal affairs and communication.

In 2021, she ran for the party leadership in the LDP for the first time but lost to Fumio Kishida. She tried again in 2024 but lost to Shigeru Ishiba.

This year, the third time was the charm, and she was finally elected as party leader and approved on October 21 as the new prime minister by parliament.

"My goal is to become the iron lady," she said to a group of schoolchildren during her last campaign.

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By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for our readers

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