Sanae Takaichi speaks at a rally ahead of the LDP leadership vote, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, October 4.
With Sanae Takaichi elected president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on October 4, 2025, foreign media outlets have unleashed a wave of commentary portraying her as a right-wing hardliner or nationalist zealot.
For example, Politico described her as "ultra-conservative" and noted her hardline stance on China and frequent visits to Yasukuni Shrine. AP News, too, used the same "ultra-conservative" tag and added that she is aligned with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "nationalist agenda." Time warned that her campaign leaned on "political extremism, particularly around immigration."
Such portrayals reinforce a simplistic narrative: that Takaichi is an ideologue rather than a serious governing figure. But a closer examination of her record and policy proposals shows a more complex, and likely pragmatic, leader.
Proven Experience and Conservative Leanings
Takaichi, 64, has been a fixture in Japanese politics since her first election to the Diet in 1993. Throughout her career, she has held multiple cabinet and party positions. These include Minister for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs (2006–07), Chair of the LDP Policy Research Council (2012), and Minister of State for Internal Affairs and Communications (2014–17).
More recently, under the Fumio Kishida administration, she served as Minister of State for Economic Security, overseeing supply chains, technology control, and national resilience issues.
While Takaichi is such a seasoned politician, she also wears her conservative colors openly. She identifies as a conservative inspired by Margaret Thatcher, endorsing a vision of a "strong and prosperous" Japan. And she backs the economic strategy of Abenomics with aggressive monetary policy and fiscal stimulus.
Her election came after a runoff defeat of Shinjiro Koizumi, marking a swing back toward the party's conservative base. The leadership vote is widely seen as shifting the LDP toward a more assertive posture, which may explain the international media's framing of her as a "hardliner."
Immigration and Foreign Residents
Immigration and foreign resident policy has been a central pillar of Takaichi's platform, and a favorite target of alarmist reporting. During her campaign, she devoted much of her speech time to migration issues, citing illegal overstays, rising numbers of foreign tourists, and social tensions. She called for a "crackdown on illegal immigration" and emphasized that "foreigners must strictly obey our laws," applying equal legal obligations on non-Japanese overstayers or absconders.
She also speaks of "mutual consideration" in communities and has proposed that policies be reconsidered "from zero base" toward establishing an "orderly coexistence" between Japanese and foreigners.
To institutionalize this, the Shigeru Ishiba administration recently set up the Office for the Promotion of a Society of Harmonious Coexistence with Foreign Nationals within the Cabinet Secretariat. It is tasked with coordinating language support, administrative services, stricter identity verification, and enforcement mechanisms across ministries.
Critics abroad have taken issue with her citing of unverified anecdotes. One example is her claim that foreign tourists have allegedly abused Nara's sacred deer — an especially sensitive topic given that Nara is her hometown. She has also remarked that some offenders escape indictment due to a shortage of translators.
Some portray this as xenophobic scapegoating. However, Japanese media outlets, including the Sankei Shimbun, have documented such incidents with photos and video evidence.
But her underlying argument is structural: security and justice require adequate resources and coordination, and gaps in enforcement necessitate reforms.
All four of her LDP competitors also backed stricter immigration enforcement and limits on foreign land ownership. In other words, Takaichi's platform is not an extremist outlier but part of a shared mainstream debate within the party.
National Security
A frequent foreign media portrayal frames Takaichi as a hawkish nationalist pushing for aggressive security laws. But her proposals are concrete and widely supported across party lines.
One central plank is the passage of a national anti-espionage (spy prevention) law, which Japan currently lacks. Takaichi insists that rising geopolitical tensions demand legal infrastructure to address foreign interference and espionage. Importantly, major opposition parties also back similar frameworks. The Democratic Party for the People (DPP), for instance, has drafted a bill requiring foreign government agents to register and creating oversight mechanisms.
Takaichi has called for a ruling and opposition parties' negotiation to build consensus on a spy law. She is not simply pushing her agenda unilaterally.
On land policy, she proposes restricting foreign acquisition of real estate, especially near defense facilities or strategic systems. Both the DPP and Nippon Ishin no Kai likewise support a Foreign Land Acquisition Regulation Law to bolster security. In her campaign, she pledged to "challenge" the status quo on this front. On this, her security agenda aligns with mainstream concerns about territorial vulnerability.
Fiscal Strategy and Growth Orientation
Another contrast with the "hardliner" label is her fiscal policy. Takaichi advocates expansionary stimulus via government spending and monetary measures to revive growth. In September 2025, she stated that, if necessary, additional government bonds should be issued to fund living-cost relief, although she prefers using extra tax revenue first.
She argues that bold action is needed to break out of Japan's long stagnation.
Critics warn that profligate borrowing would stretch public debt. Prominent entrepreneur Takafumi Horie voiced skepticism. In an October 4 YouTube video, he questioned the wisdom of issuing more government bonds without concurrent structural reforms in social security.
"Some people say having Takaichi as PM would be better for the economy — I don't quite get that," he said. Still, Horie acknowledged that "many believe increasing competition and corporate vitality will benefit Japan's economy" if paired with stimulus.
Her slogan, "Sanaenomics," encapsulates this dual aim: aggressive macroeconomic policy plus structural reforms. International media have drawn comparisons to Margaret Thatcher or Liz Truss, pointing to her deregulatory aspirations and fiscal boldness.
Markets have already responded favorably. On October 6, the Nikkei surged over 1,700 points to a new intraday high following her election, as investors anticipated expansionary policies under her incoming administration. The yen's rapid depreciation also boosted export-related stocks, reinforcing optimism about a pro-growth fiscal stance.
Coalition Dynamics and Opposition Signals
Takaichi's ability to govern will depend heavily on coalition-building. The LDP and Komeito lost majorities in both Diet chambers in recent elections, leaving the ruling bloc vulnerable. The Guardian covered that Ishiba's resignation set the stage for a minority LDP.
Komeito, which now holds 24 seats in the Lower House, has reportedly expressed discomfort with a more conservative LDP stance and hinted that continued cooperation depends on ideological moderation.
Takaichi has already extended overtures to opposition parties. The DPP, which holds 28 seats, has signaled open cautiousness. Leader Yuichiro Tamaki has said his party will not rush into a coalition but is "open to cooperation if the LDP demonstrates substantive reforms." He pointed to overlapping proposals in energy, taxes, and wages as potential common ground.
Tamaki also publicly expressed support for legislation on foreign land restrictions and the spy law, arguing that such bills are "possible and necessary."
Likewise, Nippon Ishin no Kai, which holds 38 seats, has indicated readiness to collaborate on reformist policies such as deregulation, structural change, and security legislation, even if it stops short of formal coalition inclusion. Insiders say Ishin's co-leaders prefer policy partnership over partisan alignment.
Given this, the most likely scenario is a minority government led by Takaichi, relying on ad hoc support from opposition parties to pass major bills. As critics argue, that arrangement risks gridlock. Horie warns that without a firm coalition, passing budgets would be difficult. Furthermore, he opines that declining approval might trigger an early return to intra-party leadership contests.
The Iron Lady Cometh
Yet the fact that DPP and Ishin share several of Takaichi's priorities weakens the media's caricature of a lone, uncompromising hardliner. If she prioritizes proposals with cross-party appeal, such as anti-espionage laws, growth measures, and land controls, Takaichi can build the alliances needed to govern.
A parliamentary vote to elect Japan's next prime minister is expected to take place on October 15 during an extraordinary Diet session. With her decisive victory in the LDP leadership race, Sanae Takaichi is widely expected to win the vote and become Japan's first female prime minister. Japan awaits the Iron Lady.
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Author: Daniel Manning
