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Japanese prime minister marks 1st month with popularity at home, ire from China

Published: 21 Nov. 2025, 16:38

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Oct. 21. [AP/YONHAP]

The administration of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi marked its first month on Friday, with some polls showing her approval rating topping 80 percent, having campaigned on continuing the legacy of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has even begun floating the possibility of a snap election in January.

Takaichi is Japan’s first female prime minister, and her work style has been unusually intense. Kyodo News reported that she spent her first month in office studying at her lodging rather than socializing.

On days without official engagements, she typically returned to her parliamentary residence in Akasaka around 7 p.m., avoiding the kind of after-hours social gatherings that were common for her predecessors.

After winning the LDP leadership race on Oct. 4, Takaichi declared she would “throw out the phrase work-life balance,” and committed to “work and work and work and work and work again.”

She sparked controversy when she arrived at the Prime Minister’s Office at 3 a.m. ahead of a Budget Committee meeting on Nov. 7. Critics said such early arrivals placed unnecessary pressure on staff.

The next day, Takaichi wrote on X that she spends weekends working at her residence or in meeting rooms if there are no public events — implying that she tries to avoid burdening her driver and security detail.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a session of the House of Councillors Budget Committee at the National Diet in Tokyo on Nov. 14. [AFP/YONHAP]

She also shared a personal anecdote, saying she often cuts her own bangs, sometimes with poor results that amuse her husband. She added that she dyes her hair herself, though not skillfully, and that she hopes to visit a salon on a day with no parliamentary session before the year's end.

Takaichi’s first month has also been defined by a hard-line conservative policy push. After winning the LDP leadership, the longstanding coalition partner Komeito left the government and was replaced by the like-minded Japan Innovation Party. With their policy agreement as a basis, Takaichi’s signature brand of politics has become more prominent.

This is most evident in defense. Even before U.S. President Donald Trump’s expected visit to Japan, Takaichi pre-emptively pledged to increase defense spending. She is now pushing to revise Japan’s three key security documents — the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy and the Defense Buildup Program.

Although the administration of former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida revised those documents just three years ago to include “counterstrike capabilities,” Takaichi is now aiming to develop submarines equipped with long-range cruise missiles capable of staying submerged for extended periods.

She has also avoided giving a clear answer when asked about revising the “Three Non-Nuclear Principles” — not possessing, producing or permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons — first announced by then-Prime Minister Eisaku Sato in 1967.

Japanese Director-General of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Masaaki Kanai, left, and Chinese Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs Liu Jinsong, center, depart after a meeting at the foreign ministry in Beijing on Nov. 18. [AFP/YONHAP]

Economically, her government unveiled a 21.3 trillion yen ($139 billion) stimulus package on Friday, including 1 trillion yen in joint public-private investment for revitalizing the shipbuilding industry. The package is aimed at building a “strong economy” through strategic fiscal spending.

In foreign policy, what some have termed the “Takaichi risk” has come into focus — most notably in tensions with China. On Nov. 7, Takaichi became the first sitting Japanese prime minister to suggest the country could intervene militarily in the event of a Taiwan contingency, prompting a sharp backlash from Beijing.

China responded by advising its citizens against traveling to or studying in Japan, and has all but suspended imports of Japanese seafood.

Although the Asahi Shimbun reported that Takaichi later admitted to aides that “the comment got away from me,” her unscripted remarks have only worsened the situation.

A passerby reads local newspapers reporting on Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent remarks on Taiwan at a newsstand in Beijing on Nov. 17. [AP/YONHAP]

There are now concerns that China could restrict exports of rare earth elements to Japan, a move it previously took during the 2012 dispute over the Senkaku Islands — known as the Diaoyu Islands in China — in what was then considered the lowest point in bilateral ties.

On Friday, Takaichi said the government remains committed to “comprehensively promoting a mutually beneficial strategic relationship,” adding that Japan’s position has not changed — an indication that she will not walk back her comments.

As tensions between Beijing and Tokyo continue, the United States and Taiwan have voiced support for Japan. On Thursday, U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass met with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and publicly backed Japan.

China’s suspension of Japanese seafood imports was a “textbook case of economic coercion,” he said.

On the same day, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te posted a photo and video on Facebook and Instagram showing sushi made with Japanese ingredients — including scallops from Hokkaido — with a caption saying it reflected “the deep friendship between Taiwan and Japan.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM HYUN-YE [[email protected]]