A drumbeat for power: Can Japan’s first female prime minister come from the sticks?
Sanae Takaichi, 64, has loved heavy metal since college. She still drums to relieve stress and even carries four spare drumsticks in case they snap. She plays on an electric drum set at home and bangs out songs after her husband goes to sleep, a habit that mirrors the unorthodox energy fueling her political ascent. Days after winning the Liberal Democratic Party presidency on October 4—the first woman ever to hold that post—her path to the premiership is far from secure. The coalition prospects are in doubt after Komeito, the LDP’s longtime partner, said it would not join a government under her, citing lingering mistrust over an LDP political slush fund scandal. The split leaves Takaichi scrambling to secure enough parliamentary support to form a stable administration.
In This Article:
From the drum kit to the dispatch box: The self-made reformer not born into a dynasty
Born in Nara, Sanae Takaichi isn’t from a political dynasty. Her father worked for a car company and her mother was a police officer. Before entering politics, she interned for a US Democratic congresswoman and worked as a TV commentator, “wearing miniskirts, riding motorcycles and presenting herself in a lively, unconventional way that sharply contrasted with the typical older male commentators,” as Meiji University politics professor Hajime Kidera noted. She gave up her Kawasaki Z400GP motorcycle after becoming a lawmaker in 1993 to avoid accidents that could slow her work. Her hair became a signature: the “Sanae cut.” When Yukitoshi Arai—the hairdresser who would style her for decades—joined the LDP in 1996, they decided to cut her hair short to express renewed determination. “We decided to express her renewed determination with her hair and cut it short,” Arai said. Since joining the LDP, she has been re-elected nine times and has held cabinet posts, including minister of economic security under Kishida.
The uphill climb: coalition rifts, scandals, and a conservative reset
Takaichi’s leadership win on October 4 signaled support for traditional conservatism in Japan’s patriarchal political system. But days later, the LDP’s longtime coalition partner, Komeito, announced it would not join a government under her, citing lingering mistrust over an LDP political slush fund scandal. Public trust has been dented by scandals within the party: in 2022, revelations of ties to the Unification Church, and in 2023 lawmakers were accused of failing to report income or disclose kickbacks. Her record on women’s rights is mixed. She opposes allowing married women to keep separate surnames and resists female succession in the imperial family. Yet during her 2025 campaign, she proposed tax breaks for babysitting and corporate incentives for in-house childcare, signaling a cautious shift toward more women-friendly policies.
A hawk with a pragmatic wing: defense, diplomacy, and the Trump factor
Analysts expect her to push for sharp increases in Japan’s defense budget, following Abe’s approach, and to pursue a practical diplomacy that aligns with the era of President Trump. Trade and debt are central: Japan-to-US investment deals—like a reported $550 billion package—could be revisited, with Trump’s temperament adding uncertainty about timing and outcomes. A potential meeting with Trump could occur quickly if coalition talks move swiftly. China policy remains delicate. Takaichi has been known as a China hawk and has argued that Chinese residents in Japan have a “duty to aid Chinese espionage.” She has visited the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, and several cabinet picks have ties to Taiwan, risking friction with Beijing. Analysts expect her stance on visits to Yasukuni to soften in office and favor pragmatic diplomacy. She has signaled moderation by saying she won’t visit Yasukuni during its autumn festival to reassure uneasy coalition partners.
What her ascent could mean for Japan—and for you
Japan’s aging population, shrinking workforce, record inflation, and a weak yen loom large as she begins. The yen hit a new low soon after her election, fueling talk of large-scale fiscal stimulus under her banner, “Sanaenomics.” Critics warn such policies could weaken the yen and raise debt concerns for ordinary households already feeling price pressures. Her policy mix includes tax breaks for babysitting and corporate incentives for in-house childcare, signaling a more woman-friendly agenda even as she stakes conservative roots. Her rise challenges the LDP’s fortunes: will her election revive the party or hasten its decline? The answer will reveal how Japan balances tradition with a changing society—and how a drummer-turned-politician might steer the country through economic and geopolitical headwinds.
