TEHRAN – The election of Sanae Takaichi as Japan’s first female prime minister on October 21 was a landmark moment in a country long dominated by male political leaders. But while her rise has broken gender barriers, her reign so far has reflected more continuity than change. Mr. Takaichi is not a political outsider. She is a veteran of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and a disciple of the late Shinzo Abe, whose nationalist and conservative legacy continues to shape Japan’s direction.
Her appointment came after the Liberal Democratic Party suffered a crushing election defeat and lost public trust due to corruption scandals and economic stagnation. By promoting Takaichi, the party signaled revitalization through representation rather than reform. She’s new to an old system.
Trump and Abe’s shadow
Mr. Takaichi’s diplomatic style is very similar to Mr. Abe’s, especially in his personal approach to relations with the United States. The meeting with President Donald Trump in Japan at the end of October was rich in symbolism. She passionately praised Mr. Trump, promised to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize, and gave him Mr. Abe’s golf putter, a gesture that signaled the intentional passing of the torch from Mr. Abe to Mr. Trump through Mr. Takaichi.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi presented US President Donald Trump with a putter owned by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a golf bag signed by Hideki Matsuyama, and a gold leaf golf ball in Tokyo on October 28th. Margo Martin/Reuters
Takaichi’s gesture toward President Trump, marked by praise and symbolic compliments, signals a deliberate effort to continue Abe’s style of diplomacy, which treats personal relationships with U.S. leaders as strategic assets. The close relationship between Prime Minister Abe and President Trump is a cornerstone of Japan’s foreign policy, and Takaichi appears intent on maintaining that dynamic. However, relying on individual compatibility rather than institutional collaboration carries risks. That could expose Japan’s diplomacy to unpredictable changes in leadership and limit its ability to autonomously navigate global changes.
Symbolism without structural reform
Despite Takaichi’s historic status, he has not championed gender equality. Japan remains ranked 118th out of 148 countries in the Global Gender Gap Report, with women holding less than 16% of seats in the House of Commons and only 10% of cabinet positions. Takaichi opposes female succession to the throne and rejects reforms such as allowing married couples to have separate surnames.
Her leadership is therefore symbolic, but not transformative. She destroyed the ceiling, but left the walls alone. The traditional hierarchical structure of Japanese politics remains intact.
China’s strategic blueprint
While Takaichi interacted with President Trump with gestures of praise and symbolic diplomacy, his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, held on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, on October 31, 2025, struck a markedly different tone. President Xi offered a systematic and realistic vision for regional cooperation and urged Japan to adopt a positive and mutually beneficial approach. This contrast highlights the delicate balance Japan is trying to strike between fostering personal bonds and navigating institutional diplomacy in an increasingly complex world situation.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Gyeongju, South Korea, on October 31, 2025.
In his meeting with the Japanese prime minister, President Xi emphasized the following five key pillars:
1: Respect for historical commitments such as the Murayama Statement and the 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement on Taiwan.
2: Win-win cooperation, especially in areas such as green development, digital economy and elderly care.
3: Connections between people through increased exchange and mutual understanding.
4: Multilateral coordination based on equality and non-interference.
5: Manage differences by focusing on agreement and stability.
President Xi also referred to China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, launched at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee, as a governance model rooted in long-term planning and mutual benefit.
Security ambitions and economic realities
Mr. Takaichi’s domestic policies continue Mr. Abe’s push for a more assertive Japan. She supports amending the pacifist constitution, increasing defense spending, and tightening immigration controls. These policies reflect her nationalist views.
But Japan’s economic and demographic realities complicate this vision. The country faces a shrinking population, an aging workforce and one of the highest public debt levels in the world. Restricting immigration while expanding the military budget will only deepen these tensions. Her hawkish stance on China also conflicts with economic interdependence, as China remains Japan’s largest trading partner and a key link in industrial supply chains.
At the APEC summit, Takaichi acknowledged this tension. He emphasized the importance of stable relations with China and reaffirmed Japan’s position on Taiwan. Her careful language suggests that she understands the need for cooperation, even as domestic politics force her into conflict.
Structural fatigue of the Liberal Democratic Party
Takaichi inherits a political party that is in slow decline. The Liberal Democratic Party has ruled Japan almost continuously since 1955 by controlling bureaucratic networks and local patronage. But its core support base, older conservative voters, is shrinking, and younger Japanese consider it to be out of touch with society.
Her ideological and defensive focus appeals to traditional conservatives, but fails to address the concerns of younger generations, such as job insecurity, gender inequality, and social mobility. Without bold economic reforms and comprehensive policies, her government risks becoming another short-lived administration in Japan’s revolving door politics.
Between tradition and change
Takaichi’s leadership reflects the well-known conservative balance in Japanese politics: modern in expression but cautious in practice. Her gesture toward Trump and loyalty to Abe suggest continued reliance on established formulas. However, Japan’s mounting challenges, including economic stagnation, demographic decline, and geopolitical instability, require more than symbolic continuity.
Recent exchanges with President Xi have highlighted the changing expectations facing Tokyo. Whether Japan commits to that vision or not, this moment has highlighted the need for strategic realignment. If Takaichi continues to cling to the orthodoxy he has inherited, he risks being seen as an administrator. But if she uses this opportunity to rethink Japan’s diplomatic stance, she could emerge as a transitional figure who can guide Japan toward a more adaptive and autonomous role in the region.