Who is Sanae Takaichi, the Japanese prime minister backed by Trump?

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi cemented her status as the favorite Friday after receiving the endorsement of Donald Trump, two days before an early legislative election in which she seeks to strengthen the conservative majority.

"The results of this Election are very important to the future of Japan. The Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, has already proven to be a strong, powerful, and wise Leader, and one that truly loves her Country," the president wrote on Truth Social.

"Prime Minister Takaichi is someone who deserves powerful recognition for the job she and her Coalition are doing and, therefore, as President of the United States of America, it is my Honor to give a Complete and Total Endorsement of her, and what her highly respected Coalition is representing," Trump added.

The president also wrote that he "look[s] forward" to welcoming her to the White House on March 19.

Polls predict resounding victory in legislative election

The first woman to lead the Japanese government, the conservative leader relies on her favorable results in the polls to boost the performance of her right-wing nationalist Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

The ruling coalition maintains its majority in the Japanese House of Representatives by a slim margin and seeks to expand it, while polls anticipate a comfortable victory for the LDP.

According to the polls, Takaichi's party would easily surpass the 233 seats needed for a majority in the lower house, and together with its ally, the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), the coalition could exceed 300 of the 465 seats, approaching two-thirds of the total.

Japan's "Iron Lady"

Takaichi, 64, made history in late October by becoming the first woman to serve as Japanese prime minister after being officially appointed by the National Diet (Japanese congress) after winning the Liberal Democratic Party's chair in the Oct. 4, 2025, internal election.

"We have inaugurated a new era for the LDP," she said after her election in early October, while admitting, "Instead of feeling happy, I feel that the real challenge lies ahead."

Six days after assuming leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party, Takaichi lost her coalition partner, the minority Komeito party, which disagrees with her conservative stances and an LDP funding scandal. That forced the leader to form an alliance with the JIP.

During her campaign, Sanae Takaishi pledged to "strengthen the Japanese economy and reorganize Japan as a country that can be responsible to future generations." However, the new prime minister must also deal with Japan's declining population and inject dynamism into a stagnant economy.

An avowed admirer of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the conservative leader also identifies herself as the ideological successor to former prime minister and former LDP president Shinzo Abe, who was shot dead in 2022 while delivering a campaign speech in Nara.

Early career and ministerial duties

Sanae Takaichi was born in Nara and graduated with a degree in business administration from Kobe University. Before starting her political career, she worked as a writer, legislative assistant, broadcaster and, interestingly, was a drummer in a heavy metal band.

In 1996, after a few years of political career as an independent, the conservative leader joined the LDP. In 2006, during the first political stint of Shinzo Abe, who had just assumed the presidency of the LDP, Takaichi was appointed secretary of state for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs, with responsibilities for regional policy and relations with the disputed territories.

Following the LDP's victory in the 2012 general election, Takaichi was appointed director of the party's Policy Research Council. In January 2013, he recommended that Abe issue a replacement to the Murayama Statement, which apologized for the damage caused by imperial Japan during its colonial period.

Under Shinzo Abe's government, the conservative leader played a prominent role as minister of internal affairs and communications, a post she held for two terms: Sept. 3, 2014 to Aug. 3, 2017 and Sept. 11, 2019 to Sept. 16, 2020, where she oversaw telecommunications and media regulation; her tenure gave her visibility and influence over the Japanese government's digital and regulatory policy.

By holding this ministry for several cabinets during the Abe era, Takaichi was able to cement her reputation as a top LDP policymaker and reinforced her alignment with the conservative former prime minister's policy agenda.

In 2022, the leader was appointed minister of state for economic security in the government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, focusing on the protection of supply chains, technological security and the resilience of key industrial sectors in Japan.

Takaichi's policies

Sanae Takaishi has promised to form a cabinet with greater participation from women, at a parity level similar to that of the Nordic countries. However, after her victory, she appointed only two female officials among her 19 ministers, just like her predecessor. They are conservative Satsuki Katayama, who assumes the finance portfolio, and Kimi Onoda, in economic security.

Likewise, the leader stated that she hoped to "raise awareness" of the health difficulties faced by women and has openly referred to her experience with menopause.

Despite this, her political stances on gender place her to the right of the Liberal Democratic Party, opposing the reform of a 19th-century law that requires married couples to use the same last name, which in practice means that the wife adopts her husband's.

The conservative leader also wants to maintain Japan's imperial family succession rules that only allow males to be emperors, and is adamantly opposed to same-sex marriage.

"Abenomics"

Her economic policies favor growth and the market, combining proactive fiscal support, selective industrial investments and a strong emphasis on economic security and technological autonomy.

In the past, Takaichi has backed aggressive monetary easing and increased government spending, echoing Shinzo Abe's economic policies.

Despite backtracking on those proposals in the LDP leadership contest, her victory propelled Japanese stocks to record highs.

Immigration

Takaichi's platform is marked by an emphasis on "Japan first," presenting the restriction of immigration as part of a broader agenda of national reaffirmation and traditional values.

Hergovernment is expected to prioritizeJapanese labor and will impose measures to curb mass migratorty inflows. Takaechi's stance is clearly skeptical of broad and open immigration.

Her stance on China

On China, she has stated that the communist regime of Xi Jinping "completely underestimates Japan" and that Tokyo must "address the security threat" posed by the country.

Following Takaichi's victory, Beijing assured that it "took note of the outcome" of the Japanese election and hoped to "move forward" in its relations with Tokyo, which it urged to "fulfill its political commitments on important issues, such as history and Taiwan."