In autumn of 2025, a woman became Japan’s prime minister for the first time in its history. For the island nation’s traditionally patriarchal society, the move was widely seen as an unprecedented moment. Sanae Takaichi has been compared to Margaret Thatcher – and even dubbed ‘the Taliban in a skirt’ – for her hardline conservative stances and outspoken support for Japan’s military build-up.
At the same time, Takaichi does not fit the typical image of a Japanese politician. In her younger years, she played in a rock band and appeared on TV shows. She speaks openly about her personal life – a quality that has earned her noticeable support among younger voters.
How will the new prime minister’s policies affect Japan’s relations with the United States, China, and Russia? And could her rise to power become a turning point for the country? We discuss this with Olga Dobrinskaya, Senior Researcher for the Centre for Japanese Studies at the Institute of China and Modern Asia, and Viktor Kuzminkov, Senior Researcher at the Center for Asia-Pacific Studies at the Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations.
