Takaichi Faces 'Japan-Made' Criticism in US Media

Early reactions in the United States to Japan's new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, could not be more polarized. President Donald Trump described her as "a highly respected person of great wisdom and strength," while a Washington Post article portrayed her as "an ultraconservative, far-right nationalist who has held back women's advancement in Japan."

These sharply contrasting remarks have both been cited as examples of the American response to Takaichi's rise.

It's only natural that Japanese officials and the public are paying close attention to how other nations, especially the United States, view their first female prime minister. Yet those views vary widely depending on political perspective. More striking still, some of the so-called American reactions are, in fact, homegrown, originating in Japan itself.

In other words, Japanese reporters have been providing their own opinions, often reflecting only those Japanese views that are negative toward Takaichi, to American media outlets, where these views are then published as if they represent US perspectives.

Positive Views Among US Conservatives

Within the US, mainstream Republicans in the administration and Congress, and other conservatives, view Takaichi favorably.

Fred Fleitz of the America First Policy Institute shared an article suggesting that she could help improve international order, working in step with President Trump to strengthen the Japan-US alliance and confront China and Russia. This sort of positive assessment is even more firm inside the Trump administration.

*Fred Fleitz, Vice Chairman of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), responds to an interview with JAPAN Forward. July 27, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.*

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Takaichi administration would "deepen US-Japan alliance cooperation, build economic prosperity, and strengthen regional security."

Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a leading US conservative, made an observation on X (formerly Twitter) on October 22:

"CNN is referring to the new PM of Japan as a 'hardliner conservative' — this is a signaling phrase to its lefty readers that she is 'icky.'

"In my book, CNN's opprobrium means she must be pretty good."

US Mainstream Media Quickly Took Opposite View

By contrast, coverage of Takaichi's rise by major US media outlets took a sharply different tone.

Two Washington Post articles about Takaichi, published online immediately before and after her election, were laden with negative descriptors. They labeled her as "ultraconservative," "hard-line," "hawkish," "historical revisionist," and "firebrand."

Yet, at least two of those pieces weren't even written by Post reporters. Instead, they were Associated Press dispatches from Tokyo that the Post had merely republished, as had many other newspapers nationwide. They were authored by a Japanese journalist who has worked for AP's Tokyo bureau since 1988.

Those reports offered no evidence to justify labeling Takaichi a "historical revisionist" or someone who "has hindered women's advancement." The quoted criticism came from a few Japanese commentators known for their anti-conservative positions.

Ultimately, the stories fit neatly within the Washington Post's broader anti-Trump, anti-conservative editorial stance. However, they contained no genuine American perspective. The supposed "US reaction" was, in fact, entirely made in Japan. And this Japan-sourced framing extends well beyond AP, coloring much of the American media's reporting on Japan.