Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is making waves in Tokyo and beyond with remarks that challenge Japan’s postwar identity and test regional stability. Her latest comments on Taiwan have triggered criticism at home, putting a spotlight on a career defined by hard-line, revisionist views.
A revisionist spark early on
Takaichi first entered the Diet’s lower house in 1993 as an independent. Just a year later, she publicly challenged Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama over his landmark apology for wartime aggression, dismissing the Murayama Statement as overly emotional and urging its revision. She also attacked the Kono Statement on wartime sexual slavery, denying coercion of comfort women.
From Abe protégé to shrine visits
After joining the Liberal Democratic Party in the late 1990s, Takaichi earned a reputation as Shinzo Abe’s political protégé. In August 2007, she was the sole cabinet member to visit Yasukuni Shrine, a ritual she has repeated, signaling a nod to Japan’s militarist past. In 2014, a photo surfaced of her with Kazunari Yamada, leader of the neo-Nazi National Socialist Japanese Workers Party. Takaichi confirmed the image but downplayed its significance.
Militarism and constitutional change
As prime minister, she has called for removing Article 9’s pacifist clause, transforming the Self-Defense Forces into a full-fledged military, and boosting defense spending to acquire strike capabilities—moves that would mark a sharp break from Japan’s postwar security policy.
Escalating tensions over Taiwan
In April this year, during a visit to Taiwan, she proposed a 'quasi-alliance' and deeper security cooperation with Taiwan authorities—an approach at odds with the one-China principle. She has described a 'Taiwan contingency' as a survival threat to Japan, stoking concerns across the region.
What comes next?
With 2025 drawing to a close, Takaichi’s agenda is a barometer for Japan’s future direction. For young global citizens, entrepreneurs, and changemakers, her push for a stronger military and revisionist history tests alliances and will shape Asia–Pacific security in the years ahead.
Reference(s):
Unmasking Takaichi: 'Ultranationalist' who keeps crossing red lines
cgtn.com
