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Sanae Takaichi

(高市早苗)

Sanae Takaichi

高市早苗

The latest news and top stories on Sanae Takaichi. A long-serving member of the Japanese House of Representatives, she has held numerous significant cabinet roles. Her past positions include Minister of State for Economic Security, Internal Affairs and Communications, Science and Technology Policy, and Youth Affairs and Gender Equality. Known for her staunch conservative views and close alliance with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi has focused on strengthening Japan’s economic security, cybersecurity and national defence. She has also chaired the LDP’s Policy Research Council and recently led a commission on public safety and cybercrime. Takaichi has twice contended for the LDP leadership.

An nuclear-capable Minuteman III ICBM sits inside a silo at an air force base in the US last year. Photo: US Air Force/Handout

South Korea

Will South Korea or Japan develop a nuclear deterrent of their own?

Seven in 10 South Koreans tell pollsters they want the bomb. Japan’s PM refuses to rule it out. Is ‘friendly proliferation’ next?

26 Apr 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

Japan

Japanese protest ‘frightening’ easing of decades-old arms export curbs

24 Apr 2026 - 9:54PM

Japan

Japan’s PM Takaichi tells fellow politician she needs ‘more sleep’

23 Apr 2026 - 4:37PM

Japan

Macroscope | Why fixing Japan’s monetary policy isn’t getting any easier

The wrong kind of inflation and the effects of the war in Iran complicate the outlook for Japanese interest rates.

23 Apr 2026 - 5:20PMvideocam

Customers queue at a discount ticket shop at Akihabara Electric Town in Tokyo on March 24. The weak yen is fuelling inflation by increasing the cost of imported goods, sapping consumers’ purchasing power and making it harder to tackle Japan’s cost-of-living crisis. Photo: EPA

China’s navy

Warning over Taiwan? PLA warships make rare transits off southwest Japan

‘Rare passage is a direct deterrent’ to the Japanese military bases along the coast, former PLA instructor says.

22 Apr 2026 - 9:07PM

China travel

2,700 China-Japan flights axed in March as rift between Asian powers deepens

Nearly half of the planned flights between China and Japan were cancelled last month, as Beijing and Tokyo remain locked in a diplomatic feud.

22 Apr 2026 - 5:00PMvideocam

Japan

Video | Japan scraps long-standing arms export rules

Tokyo approves plan to scrap restrictions, prompting warnings that this could undermine the country’s pacifist constitution.

22 Apr 2026 - 4:39PM

Cruise missiles, flag of Japan in background - defense concept - 3D illustration. Photo: Shutterstock Images

China-Japan relations

China warns of ‘moves towards militarism’ after Japan eases arms export rules

Tokyo approves plan to scrap restrictions, prompting warnings that this could undermine the country’s pacifist constitution.

21 Apr 2026 - 9:40PMvideocam

Japan

Japan’s Takaichi sends Yasukuni shrine offering, South Korea expresses ‘regret’

Seoul urges Japan’s leaders to ‘face history squarely’ and show through action ‘a sincere remorse for its past’.

21 Apr 2026 - 6:01PM

Japan

Why Japan’s Takaichi is already facing resistance inside her own party

Observers say the prime minister’s assertive style and policy agenda have caused unease among the Liberal Democratic Party’s old guard.

21 Apr 2026 - 3:48PMvideocam

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is also the ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader, sings the party anthem with the party’s deputy president and former prime minister Taro Aso (right) and the party secretary general Shunichi Suzuki (left) on April 12. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong tourism

40 Hong Kong tour groups safe after major earthquake strikes Japan

Japan issues tsunami warning for north and northeast prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate, after quake strikes at 4.53pm.

21 Apr 2026 - 8:33AMvideocam

A warning message flashes up on a screen after an earthquake hit northern Japan. Photo: AFP

China-Japan relations

Japan warship’s Taiwan Strait voyage reignites China tensions

The JS Ikazuchi passed through the Taiwan Strait on Friday, the anniversary of an 1895 treaty handing Taiwan to Japan.

21 Apr 2026 - 12:16PM

Japan

‘Dragon Ball’ diplomacy: Japan’s Takaichi builds rapport with personal touches

Japan’s first female prime minister uses expressive gestures, thoughtful gifts and music to connect with foreign leaders.

20 Apr 2026 - 10:40AMvideocam

China-Japan relations

Is Japan’s treaty-day Taiwan Strait warship transit a new flashpoint with China?

The JS Ikazuchi’s passage through the waterway on Friday ‘harmed the feelings of the Chinese people’.

19 Apr 2026 - 11:55PMvideocam

The JS Ikazuchi passed through the Taiwan Strait on the anniversary of the 895 Treaty of Shimonoseki or Treaty of Maguan. Photo: Handout

Japan

Macroscope | Will Japan’s corporate bond initiative signal a shift in Asia financing?

Japanese authorities are promoting the domestic corporate bond market as an alternative for firms seeking funding without losing control.

18 Apr 2026 - 5:33PMvideocam

A man stands in front of an electronic board displaying the closing numbers of the Nikkei Stock Average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, in Tokyo, on April 2. Photo: AFP

China-Japan relations

Is Takaichi putting Japan’s pacifist constitution on the chopping block?

Goal of changing the post-war system has never been closer, but upper house could still be a stumbling block, analysts argue.

18 Apr 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

Japan

Japan warned of ‘hellish summer’ as energy fears mount

A prolonged Iran war, combined with an unusually early spell of hot weather, could leave Japan facing power shortages this summer.

18 Apr 2026 - 10:30AM

Japan

Video | Is Japan ready for a female emperor?

A new poll shows most Japanese support a woman ascending to the Chrysanthemum Throne, even as the prime minister proposes a plan that preserves the male-line succession.

17 Apr 2026 - 8:23PM

02:31

China-Japan relations

China slams Japan for sending warship through Taiwan Strait

Beijing calls move a ‘deliberate provocation’ that undermines peace and stability in the strait.

17 Apr 2026 - 8:16PMvideocam

Taiwan

What does Japan’s role in a US-Philippine military drill mean for Taiwan?

Tokyo’s 1,400 combat troops mark most extensive participation yet in annual joint exercise and signal ‘priorities’ to Beijing, analysts say.

16 Apr 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

China-Asean relations

Can Japan’s US$10b energy shield oust China’s influence in Southeast Asia?

Pledge is a bid to ‘embed Japan at the centre of Southeast Asia’s energy security architecture’, observer notes, but questions its impact.

16 Apr 2026 - 9:02PMvideocam

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi leads the Asia Zero-Emission Community Plus online summit on energy resilience, in Tokyo on April 15. Photo: EPA

China-Japan relations

China says embassy intrusion, bomb threat are among ‘grave violations’ in Japan

Acting head of embassy lists incidents he describes as ‘a threat to the safety of Chinese diplomatic personnel and premises’.

16 Apr 2026 - 7:02PMvideocam

A police officer stands guard at an entrance to the Chinese embassy in Tokyo on March 25, 2026, a day after a man was apprehended for allegedly trespassing onto the grounds of the embassy. Photo: AFP

Japan

Why Japan will remain the most trusted power in Asean despite military push

A survey by ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute shows respondents trusted Japan more as a power than the EU, the US, China and India.

16 Apr 2026 - 6:27PMvideocam

China-Japan relations

The next frontier: China maps seabed resources as Japan races to tap rare earths

Atlas charts location, concentration and distribution patterns of dozens of elements in seabed sediments.

16 Apr 2026 - 9:00AMvideocam

Japan

Japan backs a female emperor while Takaichi pushes conservative succession plan

A new poll shows most Japanese support a woman taking the throne, even as the prime minister moves to preserve male-line succession.

17 Apr 2026 - 8:28PMvideocam

Japan

Japan to provide US$10 billion support to help Asia secure oil

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says the support will be equivalent to as much as 1.2 billion ⁠barrels of oil.

15 Apr 2026 - 6:15PM

Japan

Japan’s Narita Airport expansion revives row over forced land sales

Authorities are considering forcing the sale of land owned by holdout farmers, recalling disputes that sparked violence during the 1960s.

15 Apr 2026 - 4:22PM

China-Japan relations

Should China be worried as Japan starts replacing helicopters with drones?

The move has triggered warnings that the new drones could be stationed in the Ryukyu chain close to the Chinese coast.

14 Apr 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

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Sanae Takaichi

(高市早苗)

Will South Korea or Japan develop a nuclear deterrent of their own?

Seven in 10 South Koreans tell pollsters they want the bomb. Japan’s PM refuses to rule it out. Is ‘friendly proliferation’ next?

Japanese protest ‘frightening’ easing of decades-old arms export curbs

Japan’s PM Takaichi tells fellow politician she needs ‘more sleep’

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Macroscope | Why fixing Japan’s monetary policy isn’t getting any easier

The wrong kind of inflation and the effects of the war in Iran complicate the outlook for Japanese interest rates.

Warning over Taiwan? PLA warships make rare transits off southwest Japan

‘Rare passage is a direct deterrent’ to the Japanese military bases along the coast, former PLA instructor says.

2,700 China-Japan flights axed in March as rift between Asian powers deepens

Nearly half of the planned flights between China and Japan were cancelled last month, as Beijing and Tokyo remain locked in a diplomatic feud.

.css-1t72pn8{color:#C79A00;}Video | Japan scraps long-standing arms export rules

Tokyo approves plan to scrap restrictions, prompting warnings that this could undermine the country’s pacifist constitution.

China warns of ‘moves towards militarism’ after Japan eases arms export rules

Tokyo approves plan to scrap restrictions, prompting warnings that this could undermine the country’s pacifist constitution.

Japan’s Takaichi sends Yasukuni shrine offering, South Korea expresses ‘regret’

Seoul urges Japan’s leaders to ‘face history squarely’ and show through action ‘a sincere remorse for its past’.

Why Japan’s Takaichi is already facing resistance inside her own party

Observers say the prime minister’s assertive style and policy agenda have caused unease among the Liberal Democratic Party’s old guard.

40 Hong Kong tour groups safe after major earthquake strikes Japan

Japan issues tsunami warning for north and northeast prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate, after quake strikes at 4.53pm.

Japan warship’s Taiwan Strait voyage reignites China tensions

The JS Ikazuchi passed through the Taiwan Strait on Friday, the anniversary of an 1895 treaty handing Taiwan to Japan.

‘Dragon Ball’ diplomacy: Japan’s Takaichi builds rapport with personal touches

Japan’s first female prime minister uses expressive gestures, thoughtful gifts and music to connect with foreign leaders.

Is Japan’s treaty-day Taiwan Strait warship transit a new flashpoint with China?

The JS Ikazuchi’s passage through the waterway on Friday ‘harmed the feelings of the Chinese people’.

Macroscope | Will Japan’s corporate bond initiative signal a shift in Asia financing?

Japanese authorities are promoting the domestic corporate bond market as an alternative for firms seeking funding without losing control.

Is Takaichi putting Japan’s pacifist constitution on the chopping block?

Goal of changing the post-war system has never been closer, but upper house could still be a stumbling block, analysts argue.

Japan warned of ‘hellish summer’ as energy fears mount

A prolonged Iran war, combined with an unusually early spell of hot weather, could leave Japan facing power shortages this summer.

Video | Is Japan ready for a female emperor?

A new poll shows most Japanese support a woman ascending to the Chrysanthemum Throne, even as the prime minister proposes a plan that preserves the male-line succession.

China slams Japan for sending warship through Taiwan Strait

Beijing calls move a ‘deliberate provocation’ that undermines peace and stability in the strait.

What does Japan’s role in a US-Philippine military drill mean for Taiwan?

Tokyo’s 1,400 combat troops mark most extensive participation yet in annual joint exercise and signal ‘priorities’ to Beijing, analysts say.

Can Japan’s US$10b energy shield oust China’s influence in Southeast Asia?

Pledge is a bid to ‘embed Japan at the centre of Southeast Asia’s energy security architecture’, observer notes, but questions its impact.

China says embassy intrusion, bomb threat are among ‘grave violations’ in Japan

Acting head of embassy lists incidents he describes as ‘a threat to the safety of Chinese diplomatic personnel and premises’.

Why Japan will remain the most trusted power in Asean despite military push

A survey by ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute shows respondents trusted Japan more as a power than the EU, the US, China and India.

The next frontier: China maps seabed resources as Japan races to tap rare earths

Atlas charts location, concentration and distribution patterns of dozens of elements in seabed sediments.

Japan backs a female emperor while Takaichi pushes conservative succession plan

A new poll shows most Japanese support a woman taking the throne, even as the prime minister moves to preserve male-line succession.

Japan to provide US$10 billion support to help Asia secure oil

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says the support will be equivalent to as much as 1.2 billion ⁠barrels of oil.

Japan’s Narita Airport expansion revives row over forced land sales

Authorities are considering forcing the sale of land owned by holdout farmers, recalling disputes that sparked violence during the 1960s.

Should China be worried as Japan starts replacing helicopters with drones?

The move has triggered warnings that the new drones could be stationed in the Ryukyu chain close to the Chinese coast.

Macroscope | Why fixing Japan’s monetary policy isn’t getting any easier

Video | Japan scraps long-standing arms export rules