Sanae Takaichi makes history as prospective Japan’s first female prime minister

Photo: The New York Times

On 4th October 4 2025 (local time), Sanae Takaichi, a conservative politician, was elected as the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on the 70th anniversary of the party’s founding, a historic step toward potentially becoming Japan’s first female prime minister.

Sanae Takaichi with the former prime minister Shinzo Abe./ Photo: AP

Takaichi, 64, is a staunch conservative and a close protégé of the late Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan who was assassinated in 2022. She has cited Margaret Thatcher, the former Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as her role model.

Her career began as a news anchor before entering politics in the 1980s, a period marked by intense economic conflict between the United States and Japan. She started her political journey in the office of Patricia Schroeder, a Democratic U.S. Congresswoman known for her criticism of Japan.

In 1992, she ran for a seat in the parliamentary election for the first time as an independent but was not elected. However, she won a seat the following year, in 1993, and joined the LDP in 1996. Since then, she has been elected to the parliament 10 times, losing only once.

Throughout her political career, Takaichi has held several high-level cabinet positions, including Minister for Economic Security, State Minister for Trade and Industry, and Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications.

Before being elected as party leader, she had run for the position twice but was unsuccessful. This time, she emerged victorious. Once her appointment is confirmed by the national legislature, she will become the first female prime minister in Japanese history.

Since its founding in 1955, the LDP has dominated Japanese politics. However, the party is currently grappling with a steep decline in popularity, stemming from economic stagnation, a demographic decline, and social discontent.

Sohei Kamiya, leader of the Sanseito party, who led the party and gained major votes under the slogan “Japanese First”./ Photo: CNN

The LDP believes that Takaichi’s position on the party’s right wing could help win back voters who have drifted toward Sanseito, a far-right party that increased its seats in the parliament from 1 to 15 after promoting the slogan “Japanese First.” This shift cost the LDP its majority in both houses.

Takaichi is aware of the challenges surrounding the party’s vanishing popularity. After her first-round win, she stated, “The LDP must change, for the benefit of Japan, both now and in the future. We will always place the national interest first and govern with balance.”

SOURCE: BBC

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