President Donald Trump praised Sanae Takaichi – Japan’s first female prime minister – as he arrived in Japan on Monday. Takaichi’s resume combines her strong conservatism with a rock ‘n’ roll slant, while drawing inspiration from former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Takaichi, 64, came to power earlier this month following the resignation of former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba after the Liberal Democratic Party lost its majority in the upper house of parliament in July.
Known for her uncompromising views on defense and social issues, Trump’s visit will be her first major diplomatic test. The two leaders will discuss regional security, trade and Japan’s defense spending – areas where their positions are largely aligned.
SANAE TAKAIHI BECOMES JAPAN’S FIRST FEMALE PRIME MINISTER, BEARING THATCHER INSPIRATION
Lawmakers applaud Sanae Takaichi during a lower house session in Tokyo on Oct. 21, 2025, after she was elected Japan’s first female prime minister. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo)
Chang said the meeting comes at a crucial time for regional stability.
“America’s alliance relationship with South Korea is in danger because Lee Jae-myung … is very pro-China and very anti-American,” he added. “That makes it even more important that our relationship with Japan becomes stronger – which will also happen under Takaichi. Things have been going very well for Japan, and I think Takaichi will continue Japan’s policies, so this will be important.”
Sanae Takaichi, now the Prime Minister of Japan, is seen playing the drums in Tokyo on September 24, 2021, when she was Minister of the Interior. (Kyodo via Reuters)
From small town roots to heavy metal
Takaichi’s rise is remarkable in a party long dominated by political dynasties. Born in Nara Prefecture to a police officer mother and a father who worked for a car company affiliated with Toyota, she often describes herself as an outsider in Japan’s elite political world.
Left: Newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrives at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday, October 21, 2025. Right: British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher attends a British-French meeting with President François Mitterrand in the United Kingdom, May 5, 1990. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo/Georges De Keerle/Getty Images)
Before entering politics, she channeled her energy into music: growing up, she played drums in a heavy metal band and sang songs by Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. She reportedly still has an electronic drum kit in her Tokyo home and plays with headphones to relax after work. Takaichi was also known as an avid motorcyclist in her younger years.
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In early comments, Takaichi said she admired Thatcher’s “strong character and beliefs” and that she met the former British leader at a symposium shortly before Thatcher’s death in 2013.
The combination of a conservative politician with a rock ‘n’ roll past – Japan’s first female prime minister behind a drum kit and once on a bicycle – has helped shape her public image as both disciplined and unconventional.
A hawk on China, an heir to Abe
President Donald Trump meets with then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Akasaka Palace during his first term as president in Tokyo on May 27, 2019. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo)
Takaichi is widely described as an ideological heir to the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in line with his push to overhaul Japan’s pacifist constitution and boost the country’s defense capabilities. Her economic policies continue much of Abe’s “Abenomics,” emphasizing fiscal expansion and monetary easing – a contrast to Thatcher-style austerity. Yet her assertive tone and ideological discipline reflect the British prime minister she idolizes.
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At home, Takaichi clings to traditional views. She opposes gay marriage, rejects allowing separate surnames for married couples and supports male-only succession to the imperial family, according to The Associated Press.
The two leaders are expected to meet in Tokyo later this evening.
