Conservative Takaichi Sanae Set to Become Japan’s First Female Prime Minister

Breitbart ^ | October 06, 2025 | John Hayward

[Red Badger]

Takaichi Sanae narrowly won the race for leadership of Japan’s right-wing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Saturday, positioning her to become the first female prime minister in Japan’s history.

Japan is gearing up for a special election to replace Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, who announced his resignation in September after a few humiliating defeats for his party at the polls. Ishiba was also facing mounting public anxiety about alleged schemes to open Japan to mass migration from Africa.

Takaichi, 64, was always considered one of the top contenders in the swift and sudden race to succeed Ishiba, having finished second in the previous election. In the homestretch, her toughest opponent was Koizumi Shinjiro, an ally of Ishiba’s who would have become the youngest prime minister in Japanese history at 44 if he had won.

Takaichi won the first round of voting for LDP leadership with 183 votes, but Koizumi ran a close second with 164, triggering a runoff between the two. Takaichi won the runoff on Saturday with 185 votes to Koizumi’s 156, surprising many observers who thought the party would play it safer by choosing Koizumi.

Takaichi made some very precise political maneuvers to reposition herself as a slightly more moderate candidate than she was in the 2021 leadership race, but also more in tune with people-first populism. In some respects, her “moderation” was more a matter of the LDP shifting rightward and leaving her closer to the middle.

Takaichi’s platform in 2025 included tax cuts on gasoline, plus more subsidies for local governments and struggling taxpayers. She promised more pro-growth policies in tune with her mentor, the late Abe Shinzo, who was assassinated in July 2022 after leaving office. Her other major political inspiration was British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, whom Takaichi often emulates in her wardrobe choices.

[poconopundit]

Liz, it's great Takaichi is getting all the attention as the "first female" prime minister of Japan.

But journalists fail to mention that Tokyo (population 14 million and the most densely populated city in the world) has been run by female mayor, Yuriko Koike, since 2016 and has been re-elected twice.  She's a conservative, too.  Another Abe protégé.

Living an hour north of Tokyo we regularly see Koike in the TV news.  And the safety, hospitality, food, trains, and modern architecture of her city are sights to behold.

Koike san actually gave a presentation (in English) for the Hudson Institute and this will give you a good idea of the programs she's juggling for Tokyo city.

[mass55th]

Thanks for the info and link poconopundit!!

[Candor7]

I for one am glad to see Dai Nihon waking up and taking her seat as an extraordinarily magnificent power for good in the world.

Amateratsu Omi Kami at work IMHO.

We should never forget.And those who do not know should learn about Ise Ingu , how long it has been there and what it means. Imagine A functioning Mount Olympus in Athens. That's what Ise Jingu truly is, one of the world's best kept secrets, yet in full sight..

So happy to see Takaichi Sanae no kimi leading this forward.

Ask yourself how many nations today have an active goddess leading them? There is only one.

Amaterasu omi kami of Dai Nihon

Ise Jingu

As Americans we should try to understand this deeply. It is very important to do so.

Maintaining a free Pacific depends on it.

[Candor7]

Informative Video on Sanae Takaichi:

https://youtu.be/bdsfBhH_rhA

[Albion Wilde]

Interestingly... the Japanese word for a standard playing cards deck is トランプ or "toranpu" -- derived from the English word trump. So President Trump is the leader with the winning hand :-)

Hahahahahaha! That's great!