Will Japan’s Next PM Be a Thatcher-Loving Metalhead?

Japan has never had a female prime minister. Last week it looked like it would finally be happening when Sanae Takaichi won the leadership race for the Liberal Democratic Party, Japan’s major conservative party.

Sanae Takaichi came out top in a male-dominated race to lead Japan’s ruling party on Saturday, putting her on course to emulate her hero, former British leader Margaret Thatcher, and become her country’s first female prime minister.

The fiscal dove’s surprise victory may jolt investor confidence in one of the world’s most indebted economies, while her nationalistic positions could stoke friction with powerful neighbour China, political analysts say…

A former economic security and interior minister, Takaichi has repeatedly referred to Thatcher as a source of inspiration, citing her strong character and convictions coupled with her “womanly warmth”.

She said she met the conservative Thatcher, a divisive figure in British politics known as “the Iron Lady”, at a symposium shortly before Thatcher’s death in 2013.

She is a genuine conservative. One of her major issues is immigration.

Her focus on migration – a subject that occupied the first eight minutes of a 15-minute campaign speech – is seen as an attempt to win back voters who abandoned the LDP in national elections last October and this July in favour of rightwing minor parties, including the up-and-coming Sanseito.

During her campaign Takaichi called for restrictions on non-Japanese buying property and a crackdown on illegal immigration – a view shared by her four opponents.

She is also a drummer and was part of a metal band in college. She still plays at night to relieve stress.

Since drumming in a college band, the 64-year-old politician has remained a fan of groups like Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. She used to play so hard that she carried four pairs of sticks as back-up in case they snapped, Japanese media has reported.

But unlike most metalheads who mellow with age, the woman likely to be Japan’s next prime minister is still an enthusiast. She has an electric drum set at home and bangs out songs whenever she’s stressed, usually about her husband.

“I play after he goes to sleep,” she joked during a recent interview with a Japanese YouTuber.

However, her path to the PM’s office is not assured. A partner in the ruling coalition just dropped out.

Days after winning the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership, a victory that would normally all but guarantee the premiership, Takaichi was dealt an unexpected setback. The LDP’s longtime coalition partner, Komeito, announced it would not join a government under her, citing lingering mistrust over an LDP political slush fund scandal. The split leaves Takaichi scrambling to secure enough parliamentary support to form a stable administration.

The opposition parties could, in theory, all agree on a single alternative and deny Takaichi the premiership. However, she only needs one of the smaller parties to break and join the LDP in a new coalition. And as of this morning it appears that might happen.

Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi’s chances of becoming prime minister next week increased after Nippon Ishin no Kai, the second largest opposition party, emerged as a possible coalition partner, taking the place of Komeito, which recently severed its tie with the LDP.

In a meeting between Takaichi and Hirofumi Yoshimura, Nippon Ishin’s leader and Osaka’s governor, on Wednesday evening in Tokyo, the two parties agreed to kick off discussions to coordinate policies for a possible coalition alliance. If they reach an agreement, Nippon Ishin is expected to back Takaichi in a vote for the post of prime minister next week.

“I judged that there is a foundation for discussions,” said Yoshimura after the meeting. “We’ll be discussing the details from here on.”

Definitely not a done deal yet but she still has a path forward. In any case, whoever is the next prime minister will be meeting with President Trump next month. Today, the Washington Post editorial board praised Japan’s turn to the right, at least when it comes to additional military spending.

For decades, Japan’s U.S.-imposed constitution has limited its military capabilities, and the country spent meager amounts on defense. Yet Japan has undergone a quiet revolution. The country is dramatically increasing defense spending and having a robust debate about whether to amend the “pacifist clause” of its constitution. Most of the country’s political parties, following public opinion, broadly support the shift from meek self-defense to more active deterrence.

Trump had repeatedly criticized the decades-old U.S.-Japan security treaty as “one-sided.” He can take some credit for Japan’s decision in December 2022 to double its defense spending to 2 percent of its gross domestic product by 2027. Currently the number stands at 1.8 percent of GDP — higher than at any point since the 1960s.

Japan still could do more given the dangers posed by China’s military assertiveness in the Pacific. The second Trump administration has asked Tokyo to raise spending to 3.5 percent of GDP, matching NATO’s commitment to core defense spending.

This seems desperately needed, given how provocative China has been in the South China Sea. They have repeatedly claimed and militarized islands, including some in the economic zones of other nations like the Philippines. Now would be a good time for another Iron Lady to lead Japan.

Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.

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