TEHRAN – Sanae Takaichi’s election as Japan’s first female prime minister on October 21 was a landmark moment in a country long dominated by male political leadership. But while her rise broke a gender barrier, her governance so far reflects continuity more than change. Takaichi is not a political outsider—she’s a veteran of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and a protégé of the late Shinzo Abe, whose nationalist and conservative legacy continues to shape Japan’s direction.

Her appointment came after the LDP suffered major electoral setbacks and public trust eroded due to corruption scandals and economic stagnation. By elevating Takaichi, the party signaled renewal through representation, but not through reform. She is a new face for an old system.

Trump and Abe’s shadow

Takaichi’s diplomatic style closely mirrors Abe’s, especially in her personal approach to U.S. relations. Her meeting with President Donald Trump in Japan in late October was rich in symbolism. She praised Trump effusively, pledged to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize, and gifted him Abe’s golf putter—a gesture that signaled a deliberate passing of the torch from Abe to Trump via Takaichi.

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gifts U.S. President Donald Trump a putter owned by late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a golf bag signed by Hideki Matsuyama and a gold leaf golf ball in Tokyo on October 28. | Margo Martin / via REUTERS

Takaichi’s gestures toward President Trump—marked by admiration and symbolic tribute—signal a deliberate effort to continue Abe’s style of diplomacy, where personal rapport with U.S. leaders was treated as a strategic asset. Abe’s close relationship with Trump became a cornerstone of Japan’s foreign policy, and Takaichi appears intent on preserving that dynamic. Yet relying on individual chemistry over institutional alignment carries risks: it can leave Japan’s diplomacy exposed to unpredictable shifts in leadership and limit its ability to navigate global changes with autonomy.

Symbolism without structural reform

Despite her historic status, Takaichi 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 lower-house seats and only 10% of ministerial posts. Takaichi opposes female succession to the imperial throne and rejects reforms like allowing married couples to retain separate surnames.

Her leadership, therefore, is symbolic but not transformative. She breaks a ceiling but leaves the walls intact. The traditional hierarchies of Japanese politics remain untouched.

China’s strategic blueprint

While Takaichi engaged President Trump with gestures of admiration and symbolic diplomacy, her meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 31, 2025, in Gyeongju, South Korea—on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting—struck a markedly different tone. Xi presented a structured and pragmatic vision for regional cooperation, urging Japan to adopt a forward-looking and mutually beneficial approach. The contrast highlighted Japan’s delicate balancing act between cultivating personal ties and navigating institutional diplomacy in an increasingly complex global landscape.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi holds talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Oct. 31, 2025. 

In the meeting with the Japanese premier, President Xi emphasized five key pillars:

1: Respect for historical commitments, including the Murayama Statement and the 1972 Japan–China Joint Statement on Taiwan.
2: Win-win cooperation, especially in areas like green development, digital economy, and elderly care.
3: People-to-people ties, through expanded exchanges and mutual understanding.
4: Multilateral coordination, based on equality and non-interference.
5: Managing differences, with a focus on consensus and stability.

Xi also referenced China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, rolled out during the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, as a model of governance rooted in long-term planning and mutual benefit. 

Security ambitions vs economic realities

Takaichi’s domestic agenda continues Abe’s push for a more assertive Japan. She supports revising the pacifist constitution, increasing defense spending, and tightening immigration controls. These policies reflect her nationalist outlook.

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 military budgets will only deepen these strains. Her hawkish stance toward China also clashes with economic interdependence as China remains Japan’s largest trading partner and a vital link in its industrial supply chains.

At the APEC Summit, Takaichi acknowledged this tension. She emphasized the importance of stable relations with China and reaffirmed Japan’s position on Taiwan. Her careful phrasing suggests she understands the need for cooperation, even as domestic politics push her toward confrontation.

LDP’s structural fatigue

Takaichi inherits a party in slow decline. The LDP has ruled Japan almost continuously since 1955 by managing bureaucratic networks and rural patronage. But its core support base—older, conservative voters—is shrinking, and younger Japanese see it as out of touch.

Her focus on ideology and defense appeals to traditional conservatives but fails to address the concerns of younger generations: job insecurity, gender inequality, and social mobility. Without bold economic reform or inclusive policies, her government risks becoming another short-lived administration in Japan’s revolving-door politics.

Between tradition and transformation 

Takaichi’s leadership reflects a familiar conservative balance in Japanese politics: modern in presentation, cautious in practice. Her gestures toward Trump and loyalty to Abe signal a continued reliance on established formulas. Yet Japan’s mounting challenges—economic stagnation, demographic decline, and geopolitical volatility—demand more than symbolic continuity.

Her recent exchange with President Xi underscored the shifting expectations facing Tokyo. Whether Japan engages with that vision or not, the moment highlighted the need for strategic recalibration. If Takaichi remains anchored in inherited orthodoxy, she risks being seen as a caretaker. But if she uses this opportunity to rethink Japan’s diplomatic posture, she could emerge as a transitional figure capable of steering the country toward a more adaptive and autonomous role in the region.