Who Is Sanae Takaichi, The First Female PM Of Japan?
Japan has got its first female Prime Minister, as the 64-year-old hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi, leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), won the premiership. Takaichi is known for her admiration of former British PM Margaret Thatcher. She is also a protege of the late former PM Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in 2022.
Takaichi was earlier serving as Japan’s economic security minister and took a hard line on China’s expanding military ambitions in the Asia-Pacific. As per the TRTWorld report, on her visit to Taiwan in April, she sought a deeper security co-operation between Tokyo and Taipei, calling it ‘crucial’.
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Takaichi has remained a member of the House of Representatives from 1993 to 2003 and, since 2005, has held several ministerial posts. Takaichi worked as an author, legislative aide, and broadcaster before starting her political career. She was elected to the House as an independent member and later joined the Liberal Democratic Party in 1996.
Her views are described as conservative and ultraconservative, as Takaichi has opposed same-sex marriage, recognition of separate surnames for spouses, and female succession to the Japanese throne.
Takaichi has supported the revision of Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan, which renounces the use of military force, and strengthen the US-Japan alliance.
