Japan picks Thatcher admirer Takaichi as first female prime minister

While Britain marked the 100th anniversary of Margaret Thatcher’s birth last week, Japan made its own history on Tuesday by electing its first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, a professed admirer of the “Iron Lady.”

Takaichi, 64, who has long cited Thatcher as a personal and political inspiration, was chosen by Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to replace former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in an extraordinary session of the country’s lower house, ending several months of political turmoil that saw the party lose its upper house majority in July.

In a statement following his election, Takaichi said he felt “the hard work begins here” and vowed to restore public confidence and strengthen Japan’s security posture. Over the years, he praised Thatcher’s “strength and feminine warmth” as qualities he sought to emulate. In 2013, shortly before Thatcher’s death, Takaichi met her in London; he later described this moment as “life-changing”.

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Described by some in the Japanese and international media as an overly conservative and hard-line figure, Takaichi supports strengthening Japan’s defense posture. chinese hawkand supports constitutional revision to expand the role of the Self-Defense Forces.

On the economic side, he praises the Abenomics policies adopted by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and is in favor of fiscal and monetary stimulus. Abe was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister and was assassinated at a campaign rally in 2022, two years after leaving office.

“He’s very different from other people in the Liberal Democratic Party, and that’s why he was elected this time,” author and Asia analyst Gordon Chang said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “After losing its upper house majority, the LDP realized it needed to protect its right wing by electing someone more conservative than in the past, so the Margaret Thatcher comparison makes sense.”

Takaichi, known for his hawkish stance towards China, is expected to maintain Japan’s close alignment with the United States. Chang said his election could strengthen Washington’s strategic position in Asia, especially in an environment where tensions with Beijing are high.

JAPAN, CHINA, RUSSIA AND NORTH KOREA AXIS 2.

Left: Newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrives at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday, October 21, 2025. Right: British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher attends the Anglo-French meeting with President François Mitterrand in the United Kingdom on May 5, 1990. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko/Photo: Georges De Keerle/Getty Images)

“He’s a hawk on China, and that’s exactly what’s needed right now,” Chang said. “This will not upset President Trump; in fact, it will strengthen his hand in the fight against Xi Jinping. This shows that America’s alliances are strong and are getting stronger.”

Takaichi’s rise has been praised as a turning point for female representation, but Chang emphasized that his choice was driven by ideology rather than identity.

“I don’t think she was chosen because she was a woman,” she said. “He was chosen because he was supposed to support the right wing of the party – and it just so happened that the most conservative of the possible candidates was a woman.”

US President Donald Trump (left), Vice President JD Vance (C) and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attend a meeting with then-Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington DC on February 07, 2025. Shigeru, who took office in October, became the first Asian leader to visit Trump since his return to the White House. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Takaichi’s record highlights his conservative social vision, even though he overcame obstacles himself. He is among Japanese politicians who have resisted measures to advance women’s rights, supporting male-only succession to the imperial family and opposing same-sex marriage and allowing married couples to have separate surnames.

Like Thatcher, Takaichi rose from outside his country’s political elite. His mother served in the Nara Prefectural Police and his father worked for a Toyota-affiliated automobile company.

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Analysts say he now faces the challenge of turning symbolism into substance. His nationalist stances could increase friction with China, while his vast spending plans for the world’s fourth-largest economy will be watched closely by international investors. It must also prepare to host President Donald Trump, who is expected to visit Japan next week.

Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report.