This is the profile of Sanae Takaichi, the first female prime minister of Japan

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Sanae Takaichi made history as the first female Prime Minister (PM) of Japan to be elected after winning the vote in the Japanese parliament on Tuesday afternoon.

Previously, on October 4, 2025, the 64-year-old woman was elected president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), making her a strong candidate for the post of Prime Minister of Japan.

Takaichi replaces Shigeru Ishiba as Prime Minister of Japan and leader of the LDP, who resigned from both positions in September 2025.

Her victory marked a historic moment in the country of Sakura, which has long been known for having a relatively low level of female political representation compared to other developed countries.

Read also: LDP-JIP coalition ensures that Takaichi becomes Prime Minister of Japan

Sanae Takaichi’s profile

Takaichi was born on March 7, 1961 in Nara Prefecture, Japan. He did not come from a family of political elites, where his father was an auto factory worker and his mother was a police officer in the Nara Prefecture Police.

Takaichi successfully graduated from Kobe University with a degree in business management. He then continued his education at the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management.

When he was in college, he was the drummer in the band heavy metal and his hobby is riding a motorbike. Takaichi also admitted to being a workaholic (workaholic). He also issued a statement calling on party MPs to “work like horses”.

Before entering politics, Taku Yamamoto’s wife was a former host of TV Asahi in 1989. She also hosted programs on the Fuji Television Network or Fuji TV.

He first entered the world of Japanese politics in the 1990s. After winning his first seat as a member of the DPR in 1993, Takaichi joined the now-defunct New Frontier Party, then joined as a member of the LDP, Kyodo reported.

Takaichi is known as a protégé of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He served in several cabinets of Shinzo Abe and in the cabinet of former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Read also: Sanae Takaichi elected first female prime minister of Japan

He held numerous positions during the first government of Shinzo Abe, i.e. Deputy Minister for Innovation; Deputy Minister for Food Safety; Deputy Minister for Gender Equality and Social Affairs, Deputy Minister for Science and Technology Policies; and Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territory Affairs.

The positions he held during Shinzo Abe’s second government were that of Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, and he also held the position of Minister of State for Economic Security in the Fumio Kishida government.

He is known to often visit Yasukuni Shrine, a Tokyo shrine associated with war and is seen by neighboring countries as a strong symbol of Japan’s past militarism.

Being a right-wing figure, Takaichi is known as a very conservative and nationalistic figure in the Japanese political spectrum. As an admirer of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, she imitated Thatcher’s strong leadership style so much so that the media often called her the Iron Lady or the “Iron Lady” of Japan.

Even though she made history as the first female Prime Minister in Japan, some people doubted the progressive agenda she would bring to the issue of gender equality because she had taken a conservative stance. For example, rejecting same-sex marriage and supporting an imperial inheritance system that can only be held by men.

Read also: China is concerned about Takaichi’s election as leader of the Japanese LDP

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