As President Donald Trump touched down in Japan on Monday, he wasted no time in praising Sanae Takaichi, the nation’s first female prime minister. Takaichi, known for her unique blend of staunch conservatism and a rebellious rock-and-roll flair, draws inspiration from the iconic former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
At 64, Takaichi ascended to Japan’s top political position earlier this month, following the resignation of former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Ishiba stepped down after the Liberal Democratic Party suffered a setback, losing its upper-house majority in July.
This meeting with Trump represents Takaichi’s first significant diplomatic engagement as Japan’s leader. The two are set to tackle discussions on regional security, trade, and Japan’s defense expenditures—topics where their viewpoints notably align.
In a recent lower house session on October 21, 2025, lawmakers in Tokyo hailed Sanae Takaichi’s historic election as Japan’s first female prime minister. Her ascent marks a significant milestone in the nation’s political landscape. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo)
Gordon Chang, an author and Asia analyst, remarked in an interview with Fox News Digital, “She’s a hawk on China, and that’s exactly what’s needed right now.” Chang noted that this stance is likely to resonate with Trump as he engages in talks with Xi Jinping, strengthening the narrative of robust alliances.
Chang emphasized the importance of this meeting, considering the current challenges facing regional stability, suggesting that Takaichi’s leadership could play a pivotal role in navigating these complex dynamics.
“America’s alliance relationship with South Korea is in danger because Lee Jae-myung … is very pro-China and very anti-American,” he added. “That makes it even more important that our relationship with Japan gets stronger — which it will under Takaichi. Things were going very well with Japan, and I think that Takaichi is going to continue Japanese policies, so this will be important.”
Sanae Takaichi, now Japan’s prime minister, is seen playing drums in Tokyo on Sept. 24, 2021, when she was the internal affairs minister. (Kyodo via Reuters)
From small-town roots to heavy metal
Takaichi’s rise is remarkable in a party long dominated by political dynasties. Born in Nara Prefecture to a police officer mother and a father who worked for a car company affiliated with Toyota, she often describes herself as an outsider in Japan’s elite political world.
Left: Newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrives at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. Right: British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher attends a British-French meeting with President François Mitterrand in the United Kingdom, May 5, 1990. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo/ Georges De Keerle/Getty Images)
Before entering politics, she channeled her energy into music — playing drums in a heavy metal band during her youth, performing songs by Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. She reportedly still keeps an electronic drum kit in her Tokyo residence and plays with headphones to unwind after work. Takaichi was also known in her younger years as an avid motorcycle rider.
In early remarks, Takaichi said she admired Thatcher’s “strong character and convictions” and that she met the former British leader at a symposium shortly before Thatcher’s death in 2013.
The combination of a conservative politician with a rock-and-roll past — Japan’s first female prime minister behind a drum kit and once on a bike — has helped shape her public image as both disciplined and unconventional.
A hawk on China, an heir to Abe
President Donald Trump, meeting the then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Akasaka Palace during his first-term as president in Tokyo on May 27, 2019. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo)
Takaichi is widely described as an ideological heir to the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, aligning with his push to revise Japan’s pacifist constitution and boost the country’s defense capabilities. Her economic policy continues much of Abe’s “Abenomics,” emphasizing fiscal expansion and monetary easing — a contrast to Thatcher-style austerity. Yet her assertive tone and ideological discipline echo the British prime minister she idolizes.
At home, Takaichi holds staunchly traditional views. She opposes same-sex marriage, rejects allowing separate surnames for married couples and supports the imperial family’s male-only succession, according to The Associated Press.
The two leaders are expected to meet later tonight in Tokyo.
