The ‘Iron Lady’: Japan braces for its first female PM

Grab “the popcorn”, said William Pesek in Asia Times (Hong Kong): Japan’s next prime minister, and its first female premier, is set to be the self-described “Iron Lady”, Sanae Takaichi – a hardline, Margaret Thatcher-idolising right-winger and long-time China critic who has vowed to stand up to Donald Trump on tariffs. Takaichi, 64, is expected to be confirmed by parliament after defeating four other candidates to head the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Complicated milestone

And it was a polarising choice, to say the least, said The Asahi Shimbun (Tokyo). Described by some as an ultranationalist, Takaichi wants to loosen constitutional restrictions on the size of Japan’s self-defence forces, and is a regular visitor to the Yasukuni Shrine, home to 13 WWII “class-A war criminals”. In her victory speech, she vowed to abandon a “work-life balance” in her bid to turn round Japan’s ailing economy. “I will work, work, work and work,” she said.

In theory, the arrival of Japan’s first female PM should be a cause for celebration, said The Mainichi Shimbun (Tokyo) – particularly in a country with one of the world’s worst gender gaps. But even that milestone is complicated by Takaichi’s “old-fashioned” views on women. She “supports the imperial family’s male-only succession”, and opposes a revision to a 19th century civil law that would allow women to keep their surname after marriage. (Takaichi has been married twice, to the same man: the first time, she took his surname; the second time, he took hers.)

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Sanaenomics

And while Takaichi wants to be Japan’s answer to Thatcher, “some fear she might be its Liz Truss”, said Gearoid Reidy in The Japan Times (Tokyo). Under her economic vision of “Sanaenomics”, she advocates higher government spending yet lower taxes – a combination that caused mayhem in the UK markets when Truss tried it.

And during an increasingly xenophobic leadership race, Takaichi made off-the-cuff and often rambling accusations against foreigners – accusing tourists of “harassing deer” in Nara Park, and claiming that police have been unable to charge foreign criminals because of a lack of interpreters.

All things considered, “there’s a certain recklessness about her that’s a worry”. Takaichi’s first real test will come with the visit of Trump at the end of the month, said Pesek. Will she actually clash with the hotheaded US leader over his 15% tariff on Japanese goods? Or will she follow the playbook of her late mentor, former PM Shinzo Abe, who “perfected the art” of Trump flattery? “Time will tell.”