Is Japan electing its own Trump?
Male leadership in the Land of the Rising Sun has set, as Japan prepares to elect its first female prime minister — Sanae Takaichi, a veteran conservative lawmaker who on Saturday took the reins of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Her win broke the highest political glass ceiling in Japan and occurred amid a leadership vacuum left when Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stepped down in September. His resignation followed bruising electoral losses suffered by the LDP, which remains the biggest party in Japan’s powerful lower house.
Takaichi cites British conservative politician Margaret Thatcher as an influence, though many have been quick to draw parallels between Japan’s likely new leader and former U.S. President Donald Trump — both known for their nationalist rhetoric and hardline positions on immigration.
Trump even congratulated Takaichi in a post on Truth Social, though without naming her.
"Japan has just elected its first female Prime Minister, a highly respected person of great wisdom and strength. This is tremendous news for the incredible people of Japan. Congratulations to all!" Trump wrote on Monday.
In response, Takaichi thanked Trump and said she looked forward to working with Washington, which has been a treaty ally of Japan since 1952 and remains Tokyo’s most important strategic partner.
"Truly hoping to work together with President Trump to make our Alliance even stronger and more prosperous, and to advance a Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” Sanae said.
What makes people think Takaichi is another Trump?
Ultra-conservative worldview
Takaichi’s positions on gender, the family, and national identity remain rooted in traditional conservatism.
She backs the imperial family’s male-only line of succession. She opposes same-sex marriage. She supports financial aid for women’s health and fertility treatment, but also maintains that women should continue to honour their roles as mothers and wives. She rejects calls to amend Japan’s century-old civil code to allow married couples to retain separate surnames.
Takaichi is a regular visitor to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honours Japan’s war dead, including convicted war criminals, a practice that often provokes criticism from China and South Korea. She has declined to say whether she would continue the visits as prime minister.
Within the LDP, women who have advocated gender equality have often been sidelined. Takaichi, however, has retained influence by aligning with the party’s conservative establishment, staying loyal to its traditional values even as she becomes the face of its future.
Hard line on immigration
During her campaign, Takaichi aligned herself with calls for tighter immigration controls, arguing that Japan needed to protect public order and establish a central authority to oversee matters concerning foreigners.
She criticised unruly behaviour by tourists in her native Nara and spoke of the need to enforce rules more strictly for both visitors and residents.
Her stance reflects a broader public unease over immigration as Japan’s foreign population reaches record highs.
More than 3.7 million foreigners now live in Japan — roughly 3% of its population — and the foreign workforce has tripled in the past decade to 2.3 million. Most are employed in manufacturing, retail, farming, and fishing, sectors hit hard by labour shortages.
While Takaichi has not explicitly endorsed anti-immigrant rhetoric, her proposals for a new “command centre” to manage foreign residents have been met with scepticism. According to National Police Agency data, crime rates among foreigners remain low.
Takaichi had said her vision for a stricter policy for foreigners won’t border on exclusion or even xenophobia.
“If the public is genuinely feeling anxious, we must find a path to resolve those concerns,” she said. “This is not about xenophobia or exclusion (of foreigners)...My intention was to raise issues necessary for coexistence, not to create division.”
Iron Lady
Takaichi, who has branded herself Japan’s “Iron Lady,” said in her first address as LDP leader that she was ready to abandon “work-life balance” and “work like a horse” — a remark that drew mixed reactions online, given Japan’s population crisis is often linked to its punishing work culture.
Still, if Takaichi intends to fulfil her pledge to “work, work, work and work,” she faces a daunting agenda.
Japan’s economy remains sluggish, and its public debt continues to outstrip its total output. To revive growth, she is expected to lean on the policies of the late Shinzo Abe, embracing “Abenomics” — a mix of ultra-low interest rates and aggressive government spending.
Her promises and political resolve will soon be tested. The Diet is set to vote on October 15 to formally confirm Japan’s first female prime minister.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
