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Sanae Takaichi

Prime Minister of Japan since 2025

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# Sanae Takaichi **Sanae Takaichi** (高市早苗, *Takaichi Sanae*; born 7 March 1961) is a Japanese politician serving as the **Prime Minister of Japan** and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since October 2025. She is the first woman in Japanese history to hold either office. A veteran legislator, she has served in the House of Representatives from 1993 to 2003 and continuously since 2005. --- ## Early Life and Education Born and raised in Yamatokōriyama, Nara Prefecture, Takaichi graduated from Kobe University. Before entering politics, she maintained a diverse professional background, working as an author, a legislative aide in the United States, and a television broadcaster. ## Political Career ### Early Years and Rise (1993–2021) Takaichi was first elected to the House of Representatives as an independent in the 1993 general election, joining the LDP in 1996. A prominent protégé of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, she rose through the party ranks and held several high-profile positions, most notably serving as the **Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications**. In 2021, she launched her first bid for the LDP leadership. Although she placed third and was eliminated before the runoff, the campaign established her as a leading figure on the party’s right wing. Following the election, she served as the **Minister of State for Economic Security** (2022–2024) under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. ### Path to the Premiership (2024–2025) * **2024 Leadership Election:** Takaichi placed first in the initial round of voting but narrowly lost the runoff to Shigeru Ishiba. * **2025 Leadership Election:** In her third attempt, Takaichi secured a decisive victory, placing first in both rounds and defeating Shinjirō Koizumi to become the LDP’s first female president. * **Election as Prime Minister:** Following the dissolution of the long-standing LDP–Komeito coalition, Takaichi negotiated a new coalition agreement with the **Japan Innovation Party**. She was officially elected Prime Minister by the National Diet on 21 October 2025. --- ## Premiership (2025–Present) Takaichi’s tenure has been marked by assertive foreign policy and domestic restructuring. Early in her term, she navigated a diplomatic crisis with China following her statements regarding Japanese involvement in the event of an attack on Taiwan. In 2026, amid shifting political dynamics, she announced a snap general election. In 2025, *Forbes* ranked Takaichi as the third most powerful woman in the world and the most powerful woman in Asia. --- ## Political Positions and Ideology Takaichi is widely described as a staunch conservative or ultraconservative. ### Domestic and Social Policy * **Economics:** Supports proactive government spending and the continuation of "Abenomics." * **Social Issues:** Maintains traditionalist views, including opposition to same-sex marriage and the recognition of separate surnames for married couples. * **Imperial Succession:** Opposes allowing women to ascend to the Japanese throne. ### Foreign Policy and Defense * **Constitutional Reform:** Advocates for the revision of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution to formally recognize the military. * **Security:** Supports a pro-Taiwan foreign policy and the strengthening of the U.S.–Japan security alliance. * **Historical Views:** A member of the nationalist organization *Nippon Kaigi*, she has been criticized for revisionist views regarding Japan's actions in World War II. She has criticized the Murayama and Kono statements of apology and was known for regular visits to the Yasukuni Shrine prior to becoming Prime Minister.

📰 Related News (10)

🇺🇸 Japanese leader Takaichi says she would like to engage with North Korea's Kim Jong-un (2026-03-19)
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Thursday she has a "strong desire" to meet North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un to discuss the sensitive issu...
🇺🇸 Watch live: Trump hosts White House dinner with Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi (2026-03-19)
President Trump will host Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for a White House dinner Thursday evening. The event comes after the world leaders he...
🇺🇸 Japan's prime minister visits the White House under shadow of Iran war (2026-03-19)
Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will be the first U.S. ally to visit the White House since President Trump asked for help in sending ships to patr...
🇺🇸 Japan lower house approves Takaichi’s dovish nominees to fill BOJ board (2026-03-19)
🇺🇸 Iran conflict looms large over Takaichi's upcoming summit with Trump, experts say (2026-03-18)
The topic of Iran is likely to dominate Thursday's meeting, instead of investments or the U.S.' role in Asia, experts told CNBC....
🇺🇸 Japan Is Redefining Its Place in the World (2026-02-26)
Sanae Takaichi’s political rise presages a stronger Japan that could reshape the strategic balance in Asia and help deter Chinese aggression....
🇺🇸 Exclusive-Ex-BOJ chief Kuroda calls for rate hikes, tighter fiscal policy (2026-02-25)
🇺🇸 Japan inflation falls below BOJ's 2% target for first time since March 2022 (2026-02-20)
The 1.5% figure ended a run of 45 straight months that the inflation rate has been above the Bank of Japan's 2% target....
🇺🇸 Takaichi, reelected as Japan's leader, wants to cooperate with U.S. in rare earths development (2026-02-19)
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says she hopes to deepen her relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump....
🇺🇸 IMF urges Japan to keep raising rates, avoid reducing sales tax (2026-02-18)
The recommendation came as dovish Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's landslide election win heightens market attention to whether she will push back agai...