“The appointment of Sanae Takahita as Prime Minister of Japan on October 21, 2025 was an event of enormous magnitude for the land of the rising sun. This marks profound changes in the country’s political landscape: for the first time in the history of Japan, a nation characterized by deep social conservatism and one of the Western world’s largest gender imbalances in power, a woman has headed the government. However, Sanae”, — write on: ua.news
Appointment of Sanae Takahita as Prime Minister of Japan on October 21, 2025 became for the land where the sun rises, an event of enormous magnitude. This marks profound changes in the country’s political landscape: for the first time in the history of Japan, a nation characterized by deep social conservatism and one of the Western world’s largest gender imbalances in power, a woman has headed the government. However, Sanae Takaiti is as extraordinary a figure as she is controversial.
Takaita’s biography is frankly atypical for a political figure. A fan of heavy metal, in the past she was a drummer in a rock band, a biker and a black belt in karate. But behind this background hides the most rigid representative of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan, who seeks to rewrite the country’s pacifist constitution and introduce a nationalist view of history. Her political course is also marked by a negative attitude towards the Russian Federation.
What is she known for? “Iron Lady of Japan” who is already being compared to Margaret Thatcher? What to expect from her policy and what does her coming to power say? Who among other modern female politicians can Sanae Takaiti be compared to? UA.News political columnist Nikita Trachuk understood the issue.
Sanae Takaiti: The Countercultural Path to Power
The future Prime Minister of Japan was born in 1961 in Nara Prefecture in a family of entrepreneurs. Her path to power stands out among Japan’s political elite, as the woman is not a hereditary politician. After graduating from university and studying at the prestigious Institute of Governance and Management, Matsushita Takaiti was first elected to parliament in 1993. Before that, she gained work experience in the educational field and passed internship in the US Congress – by the way, the congresswoman with whom she interned was a consistent critic of Japan.
Of particular interest is the youth and enthusiasm of the future premier, which contrast sharply with her current official status. During her student years, Takaiti was drummer in a heavy metal band, where she performed covers of such legends of the heavy scene as Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. She admitted that her favorite warm-up song was Deep Purple’s “Burn” with a very active drum part, and among her favorites was the no less iconic metal band Iron Maiden. It is symbolic that a decade later, Takaiti will be called the “Iron Lady of Japan.”
Even after becoming a high-ranking official, she kept this passion alive, keeping an electronic drum kit in her Tokyo residence for late-night jam sessions. In addition to music, the woman was an active biker (she rode a Kawasaki Z400GP) and practiced karate, earning a black belt. These traits not only gave her the image of an atypical personality, but also influenced her leadership style: tough, decisive and informal.
Takaiti’s political ideology is uncompromising and ultra-conservative. She is a student and political protégé of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Sanae seeks to follow his policy course, including stimulating the economy through fiscal spending and strengthening military capabilities. Its conservatism defined in a specific Japanese sense: it is not only an uncompromising position on security and a tough course on neighbors, but also a defense of the imperial system and a protectionist approach to the economy.
Takaiti came to power against the background of growing political instability in the LDP — in particular, after corruption scandals. She considers it necessary to consolidate the right-wing forces of Japan.
Despite her status as the first female prime minister, the views of the new Japanese leader are deeply traditionalist. Takaiti strongly opposes LGBT and reforms aimed at gender equality and representativeness. She is against allowing married couples to keep different surnames and supports maintaining exclusively male inheritance of the imperial throne. An interesting paradox emerges: although Sanae is a woman, you should definitely not expect liberalization and “marriage” of politics from her.
Premiere in the style of “military”
One of the key pillars of Takaichi’s political program is a complete rethinking of Japan’s post-war security doctrine and its constitutional limitations. Its main goal is the revision of Japan’s pacifist constitution, in particular the well-known one Article 9 where Tokyo “forever renounces war as a nation’s sovereign right” and completely prohibits participation in any hostilities.
Takaichi proposes a radical step: renaming Japan’s Self-Defense Forces into a full-fledged and official “National Defense Army.” Such a change is not only a matter of legal terminology, but also a deep symbolic break with the doctrine on which Japan built its foreign policy after 1945. In turn, this action has the potential to fundamentally change the security architecture of the entire East Asia, which is already challenging a serious concern in Beijing, Seoul and Pyongyang. It is also clear that Takaiti supports a significant increase in military spending to 2% of GDP on defense by 2027.
A significant catalyst of this accelerated “right turn” (a general Western trend) in Japan’s policy is the degradation of the international order. Events such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the unpredictability of US policy, especially after Trump’s re-election, have undermined the Japanese elite’s confidence in a global system based on the rule of law. The Japanese leadership seems to believe that international law no longer works as it used to. Therefore, the only way to survive in an aggressive region is to contain and develop one’s own power capabilities.
Among other things, Takaiti is known for her nationalist view of history. She advocates that Japan abandon its constant public penance for past events. This is reflected in her attitude towards Shinto Yasukuni Temple which honors fallen Japanese soldiers in World War II — including specific war criminals. The new premier regularly visits this place. To understand: it is almost the same if Germany created a big memorial to the CC fighters, and the German chancellor regularly came to pay his respects to these people.
Sanae Takaiti has one of the toughest positions on the Kremlin of all Japanese politicians. She is a consistent critic of Russian aggression, condemning the war in Ukraine. This position was reflected in Tokyo’s support for comprehensive economic sanctions against Moscow even under the previous government. Takaita’s position is clear, and that’s why back in May 2022, when she held the position of head of the main political council of the LDP, the Russian Federation included her in its own sanction list.
Takaiti’s position marks the end Japanese illusions regarding the possibility of resolving the territorial dispute around the northern territories (Kuril Islands) through dialogue. After Moscow pulled out of peace talks in 2022, Tokyo classified Russia’s actions in Ukraine as “unilaterally changing the status quo by force,” terminology previously usually reserved to describe China’s actions. Takaiti now clearly positions the Russian Federation alongside China and North Korea as a threat that must be contained.
From Tokyo to Kyiv: Takaiti and the global coalition of “iron ladies”
Takaiti’s foreign policy stance puts her in line with a cohort of influential women leaders in the Western world who are determined to stand up to Russian revisionism. These leaders, despite significant ideological differences and many questions for each of them, constitute a transnational coalition of “hawks” in the issues of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
For example, George Maloney the prime minister of Italy, who heads the right-wing populist government, remains one of the staunchest supporters of military and financial aid to Ukraine in Europe. Another vivid example is Kaya Callas who, holding the position of Prime Minister of Estonia until 2024, and later – High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, is one of the strongest critics of the Kremlin in Europe. Callas categorically opposes any territorial concessions to the aggressor, stressing that this would create a dangerous precedent for the world order.
This coalition also includes Mette Frederiksen Prime Minister of Denmark. Although she is the leader of the Social Democrats and does not approve of radical right-wing ideas, the politician nevertheless actively supports military and financial aid to Kyiv, along with other Scandinavian partners. Similar determination was demonstrated by Ingrid Simonite who left the post of the head of the Lithuanian government last year. She demanded the maintenance and strengthening of sanctions against Russia and Belarus until the full restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and even the provision of reparations for the damage caused. At the institutional level, this policy is supported Ursula von der Leyen the president of the European Commission, who is the key architect of EU sanctions and financial assistance.
To sum up, Sanae Takaiti is not just the first ever female prime minister of Japan, but also an ideological symbol of a deep “right turn” in Japanese and world politics. Her unique journey from a rock band drummer and biker to a fierce nationalist at the head of a powerful Asian power reflects a moment in history when Japan appears to be abandoning postwar pacifism in favor of militarization. Which is understandable from the point of view of specific domestic and international reasons, but at the same time causes deep concern for everyone who remembers the history of this country in the 20th century.
Under the leadership of the new prime minister, Japan is likely to accelerate the revision of the constitution and pursue a tougher line in all areas. Takahiti’s government has clearly recognized that the rules-based international order is no longer reliable enough to guarantee security. In general, the coming to power of such politicians is a symptom of the deep crisis of the entire world system after 1945 and causes reasoned anxiety.