Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has won a strong election victory by focusing on a hard-line China stance and working reputation rather than gender politics.
Tokyo: Only four months after becoming the first female Prime Minister of Japan, Sanae Takaichi has strengthened her leadership. His ruling faction suddenly won a landslide victory in lower house elections, possibly with a two-thirds majority.
This powerful mandate propels him to pursue a legislative agenda defined by a tough stance on China and economic security. The staunch Conservative, a fan of Margaret Thatcher, has shown little interest in framing her prime ministership by gender.
Instead, his working reputation and deft political touch have shaped his budding leadership. His approach has received support from US President Donald Trump, to whom he has given gifts ranging from golf bags to American beef.
Takaichi inherits the struggling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which voters have abandoned over inflation and a slush fund scandal. As prime minister, she has taken a tough stance on immigration and has not hesitated to incur the wrath of China.
He suggested in November that Japan could intervene militarily if China ever attacked Taiwan. The remarks sparked a diplomatic controversy, with China announcing a sweeping ban on the export of “dual-use” goods with potential military applications to Japan.
As a former economic security minister, she was a vocal critic of Beijing and its military buildup. She has been supportive of Taiwan, saying during a visit that it was “important” to strengthen security cooperation between Taipei and Tokyo.
Once a drummer in a college heavy metal band, she put her musical skills to use last month. She played two K-pop songs during a session with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, earning widespread online praise.
Despite declaring Thatcher as her political idol, she has shown no sign of taking advantage of her gender. Takachi’s views on gender placed him on the right of the already conservative LDP.
She opposes revising the 19th-century law requiring married couples to keep the same surname. Despite a campaign promise to improve the gender balance in his administration, he appointed just two other women to his 19-strong Cabinet.
She supports aggressive monetary easing and big fiscal spending, echoing her mentor Shinzo Abe’s “Abenomics.” Takaichi has so far stuck to his vow to “work, work, work, work and work”, reportedly sleeping only two to four hours a night.
