Japan’s Heavy Metal-Drumming Prime Minister Convinces Her Nation That a Better Future Is Worth a Gamble
Sanae Takaich is enormously popular with young Japanese people, with one poll indicating she has90 percent approval among voters under 30.
Last week, I had the opportunity to spend a few days at Tokyo talking with a wide range of people. What came through clearly and forcefully is that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is going to be a major force in Japanese and East Asian life.
In October 2025, she won the largest parliamentary majority in the history of the Liberal Democratic Party, which has largely governed Japan for over 50 years.
In addition to Ms. Takaichi’s election, the LDP won 316 of the 465 seats in Japan’s House of Representatives. Ms. Takaichi is enormously popular with young Japanese people, with one poll indicating she has 90 percent approval among voters under 30.
You can manage your subscription preferences to choose the updates, newsletters, and alerts you want to receive on the website.