My SNA Visible Minorities column 70: “Takaichi’s PM Election Changes My Projections”, on how I have to recant my previous column because this new LDP party leader and probable PM is bad news (Oct 5, 2025).
Excerpt: PM Ishiba has since resigned his post and the LDP has had new elections for party leader. Stump speeches between successor candidates fell for the anti-foreigner hype and launched a foreigner-bashing olympics. Eventually the extremist candidate won, despite her weird past policy positions, overtly racist statements, and lying about, of all things, foreigners assaulting deer in a park.
Say hello to Sanae Takaichi, the LDP’s new leader and likely Japan’s first female PM.
But don’t celebrate Japan finally choosing a female. In Japan’s long history of women vying for the PM post — from opposition party leader but panderer to the LDP Takako Doi, to outspoken reformer but alleged foreigner Renho — Takaichi has prevailed. The problem is, her world view has been warped by Japan’s systemic sexism, and her policies ironically will only make things worse for her ilk.
Consider the Japanese metaphor (from the opening frame of “Barefoot Gen”) of how if wheat gets trampled down constantly, it eventually shoots back up with even stronger roots. In a society where women of talent have to work twice as hard to get half of what men do, women like Takaichi emerge far more resilient and studious of the rules of engagement in male-dominated societies.
That’s why Takaichi is particularly scary. Not only because she clearly can play the game, but also because, in her thirst for power, she learned the authoritarian playbook better than most…