Sanae Takaichi: A Conservative Hawk Prone to Controversy

Tokyo, Oct. 4 (Jiji Press)–Sanae Takaichi is on course to make history as Japan’s first female prime minister, after winning the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential election on her third attempt. She expanded her support among conservatives by adopting the policy direction of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. But her hawkish stance sometimes stirs controversy. The former television anchor and graduate of the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1993 as an independent. Takaichi won her second term on the ticket of the now-defunct New Frontier Party in 1996. Later that year, she joined the LDP. Takaichi developed a close relationship with Abe, as they both became lawmakers in 1993 and shared similar ideologies. Under the Abe administration, she served in key positions, including party policy chief and internal affairs minister. After raising her profile, she ran for LDP leadership for the first time in 2021, garnering the second most votes from party lawmakers, thanks to Abe’s backing. In last year’s leadership election, Takaichi received more votes from both lawmakers and rank-and-file members than outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the first round, but lost to him in the runoff. Over the past year, Takaichi has focused on creating allies within the party, such as by having more dinners with fellow lawmakers, as advised by former Prime Minister Taro Aso. During the elections for the House of Representatives last October and the House of Councillors this July, she delivered stump speeches across the country in support of LDP candidates, cementing her popularity among party members. Takaichi is strongly supported by the party’s conservative members, partly because she continues to visit the war-related Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. However, there are concerns that this could worsen Japan’s ties with neighboring countries that view the shrine as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism. It is also uncertain to what extent Takaichi can tackle the issue of politics and money after she received the support of many former members of a faction once led by Abe in the latest party election. The Abe faction was at the heart of a political funds scandal that triggered the party’s slump in popularity. Takaichi is also known for her dedication to policy. She often brings large amounts of documents to her residence to read overnight. During her tenure as internal affairs minister, she ended the practice of receiving early morning briefings on parliamentary questions from ministry officials, saying that she would study by herself. In her victory speech after Saturday’s leadership election, Takaichi said she will have all LDP lawmakers work diligently “like workhorses,” declaring, “I’ll abandon the phrase ‘work-life balance.'” In her private life, Takaichi was a drummer in a heavy metal band during her student days. She is an avid fan of the Hanshin Tigers professional baseball team. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]