Japan’s First Woman PM Faces Big Tests, And India Has a Stake in the Outcome

Japan is getting ready for a turning point after electing Sanae Takaichi to become the country’s first female prime minister. This determined leader is expected to take tough decisions to resolve some of Japan’s chronic domestic problems and reshape its relations with the world.

She is expected to be confirmed at a meeting in the Diet, the Japanese parliament, in mid-October because she has emerged as the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. She defeated four leaders in a party election to become the sole claimant for the prime minister’s position. The election was announced after the present prime minister Shigeru Ishiba announced plans to step down.

Though she broke a gender barrier in Japan’s intensely male-dominated politics, her rise has not gladdened feminists in the country. She opposes changing family name laws for married women, same-sex marriage, and female imperial succession.

Still, her ascension delivers powerful optics for the LDP. A female prime minister offers a refreshing image at a time of voter fatigue, international skepticism, and calls for reform. Her personal story — a self-made politician who rose from modest roots — adds authenticity that Japan’s political dynasties often lack.

India, which has not yet commented on her election, is closely watching the developing situation. China has expressed concern about thorny issues in China-Japan relations. There are strong signs of a US-Japan partnership in countering China in business and military matters.

"Japan has just elected its first female Prime Minister, a highly respected person of great wisdom and strength. This is tremendous news for the incredible people of Japan. Congratulations to all,” US President Donald Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

Takaichi, 64, has long been known as a conservative, nationalist voice within the LDP. Admiring Margaret Thatcher, she projects herself as a determined, no-nonsense leader committed to rebuilding Japan’s strength, restoring national pride, and countering regional threats.

The LDP’s decision to back Takaichi, the daughter of a policewoman and not a member of Japan’s elite political dynasties, hoping to refurbish its public image marred by corruption scandals, and electoral setbacks. The most important is whether she would be able to last long enough as the leader of the faction-ridden LDP. Nine of the last ten Japanese prime ministers lasted barely one or two years, with only Shinzo Abe breaking the pattern. 

Domestically, she must address wage stagnation, demographic decline, and discontent over immigration, problems that have resisted successive governments. Her call to “work like carriage horses” sums up her old-school ethos, but whether that message resonates with younger voters remains uncertain.

India-Japan Relations
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s August 2025 visit to Tokyo laid the groundwork for what both sides called a “New Vision Partnership.” Japan pledged 10 trillion yen, or $68 billion, in private investment over 10 years, targeting India’s infrastructure, technology, and manufacturing sectors. The deal also deepened defence and maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, reinforcing India’s role as Japan’s key partner in balancing China.

India expects Takaichi to not just re-confirm implementation of the agreement but intensify exchanges in crucial areas like technology exchanges. 

Her instinct for strategic autonomy and economic nationalism could lead to selective reprioritisation, emphasising high-technology collaboration and defence production over softer sectors like infrastructure or development assistance.

India and Japan are members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue along with Australia and the US. Quad, which has conducted some joint military exercises, is regarded as a body meant to counter China’s influence and firepower. But its relevance has weakened in recent months as the Trump administration is focused on a “America first” policy while imposing tough tariffs on almost all countries. 

Regarded as a China hawk, Takaichi has consistently supported revising the pacifist Article 9 of Japan’s constitution, boosting defence spending, and enhancing deterrence against China and North Korea.

Takaichi’s tougher stance toward China aligns closely with India’s geopolitical calculus. Both nations share anxieties over Beijing’s assertiveness, from the Himalayas to the East China Sea, and are increasingly converging in the Quad and Indo-Pacific frameworks. If she reinforces Japan’s defence cooperation and expands technology sharing, it could significantly enhance India’s capabilities in semiconductors, surveillance systems, and coastal security.

US–Japan Equation
Takaichi takes office weeks after Tokyo and Washington concluded a deal in July. Under the agreement, Japan agreed to invest $550 billion in US industries in exchange for preferential tariff treatment. The agreement was hailed in Washington as evidence of allied solidarity, but criticised within Japan as over-concessional.

During her campaign, Takaichi hinted that she might “review” aspects of the deal to ensure reciprocity and transparency. While she is unlikely to scrap it, she may push for phased disbursement, more joint industrial projects inside Japan, and tighter oversight of where funds are allocated in the US economy.

But she also represents a generation of conservatives who wish to reduce dependency on the US and restore Japan’s “strategic dignity.” She is expected to use the alliance as leverage, strengthening defence and intelligence ties while bargaining hard on trade and investment.

The overarching trajectory will remain one of tight alliance but assertive partnership — Tokyo cooperating fully on Indo-Pacific deterrence to counter China while defending its economic interests more fiercely than before.

After her election, Chinese Foreign Ministry warned Japan to adhere to the “principles and consensus of the four China–Japan political documents” and respect commitments on history and Taiwan. The tone betrayed unease over her earlier visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine and her explicit sympathy for Taiwan’s security.

Under Takaichi, Tokyo will likely accelerate defence modernisation, expand joint military drills with allies, and harden security infrastructure around the Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands, which both Japan and China claim. Expect more assertive coast-guard operations, stronger rules of engagement, and increased surveillance in contested waters.

On the economic front, she is poised to tighten screening of Chinese investments, reduce reliance on Chinese rare earths and components, and promote supply-chain diversification toward India and Southeast Asia. Semiconductor resilience and critical-mineral partnerships could become new strategic pillars.

Still, she is unlikely to provoke a confrontation. Japan’s trade and investment linkages with China remain massive — Beijing is Tokyo’s top trading partner. There are limits to which she can go to counter China until she is able to resolve economic challenges at home.