Although the country continues to struggle with gender equality, the status of Sanae Takaichi, 64, as the first female president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Japan is an important historic moment. However, this moment is layered with irony. While Takaichi has always been perceived as a staunchly conservative loyalist and admirer of Margaret Thatcher, her elevation to the highest party office comes in a patriarchal political space that has not changed for generations.
While Takaichi’s ascendance represents symbolic progress for women in Japanese politics, her both espoused views and actual policies appear closely aligned to the structures that have systematically impeded women’s political politicization. Takaichi has served in key and prominent cabinet portfolios: internal affairs, economic security, and gender equity; and all the while has espoused values that align with traditional gender ideals of women as mothers and wives. Furthermore, Takaichi’s well-reported rationale against “work-life balance” from campaign events captures the collective anxiety about women in the workforce and the image of an idealized worker. Takaichi noted Cambodia as a “heaven”while her work cycle seemed to promote a work ethic of extreme devotion.
Between Symbolism and Conservatism
While Takaichi promises to increase the number of female ministers in her government, critics doubt she will champion real structural reform. Many fear that her need to maintain loyalty to powerful male figures in the LDP could prevent her from pushing for genuine gender inclusivity. Her beliefs of opposing same-sex marriage and separate surnames for married couples as well as claiming that the imperial line should be male-only; are a reflection of the conventions of Japan rather than a modern feminist agenda.
Nevertheless, Takaichi’s overall story is undeniably interesting. She has been a drummer and a motorbike enthusiast. She has exhibited both personal tenacity and ambition in her pursuit of running for the party presidency three times until she was elected. She advocates boosting Japan’s military strength, advancing nuclear fusion technology, and raising the nation’s cybersecurity — thus producing an outlook that is forward-looking yet hardline.
Even though she recognized her own health challenges, including menopause, and called for men to be educated about women’s health — the question surrounding her larger political orientation is: Is she going to be a pioneer for women, or is she going to be the handmaiden of tradition? As Japan’s first female LDP president, Takaichi is at once both a milestone and also a mirror of Japan’s complicated process of traversing between progress and patriarchy.
