Japan’s First Female Prime Minister’s LGBTQ+ Stance Draws Concern

Featured image: Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon – Pool/Getty Images

On Tuesday, October 21st, Sanae Takaichi, 64, made history by becoming the first female Prime Minister of Japan. Known as Japan’s “Iron Lady,” Takaichi has compared herself to ex-British PM Margaret Thatcher, and wears blue suits to prove the point. A leader of Japan’s not-so–liberal Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), she is known as an ultraconservative who holds traditional gender views. 

Despite those leanings, after college, she worked in the U.S. as a congressional fellow for Democrat, Rep. Pat Schroeder in Colorado. With international politics on her resume, she then landed a stint back in Japan in TV news and worked her way into political spaces, entering parliament in 1993. Though making the history pages as the first-ever woman Prime Minister in a country where women hold only 10% of seats in parliament, Takaichi appointed only two women to her cabinet, hours after being elected, despite campaign promises to increase numbers to “Nordic levels” (50%). Her views might make a feminist cringe:

Takaichi supports male-only succession to the Japanese throne, traditional gender roles, and doesn’t think women should keep their maiden names after marriage (though she reportedly has used her own publicly) – because such changes could “destroy the social structure based on family units.”

It’s not that she doesn’t know how to have fun – Takaichi, is a scuba diver, likes motorcycles and is a heavy metal enthusiast (Deep Purple and Iron Maiden to be precise). She also plays the drums, and in 2016, let loose singing Japan’s classic rock anthem “Rusty Nail” on national television.   

Fuji TV's headline introducing Takaichi Sanae as the first female leader of the LDP notes that she is a Hanshin Tigers fan and also mentions the time she sang an X Japan song on a TV show (shown in this video).pic.twitter.com/85y5M2kkHw https://t.co/Hq0nfqcYhj

— Jeffrey J. Hall 🇯🇵🇺🇸 (@mrjeffu) October 4, 2025

While she can belt out some good karaoke, unfortunately, she might not be fun at the party if it’s a wedding reception for queers.

Takaichi has stated that “there should be no prejudice against sexual orientation or gender identity,” but Japan’s new leading lady does not support same-sex marriage. Such marriages and civil unions are not recognized in the country generally – a fact that is not likely to change any time soon.

“The historic election of Japan’s first woman prime minister is no source of joy for Japanese women or the nation’s sexual minorities,” Jeff Kingston, Professor of History & Asian Studies, Temple University Japan tells GO. “Takaichi’s promise to have a Nordic style cabinet packed with women will not be the last she breaks but surely exposes her mendacity about empowering women. Her track record on gay rights is similarly disappointing as she voices traditional family values and played a role in derailing legislation that would have banned discrimination against gays.”