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Sanae Takaichi

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The native form of this personal name is Takaichi Sanae. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.
Sanae Takaichi
高市 早苗
Official portrait, 2019
Minister of State for Economic Security
In office
10 August 2022 – 1 October 2024
Prime MinisterFumio Kishida
Preceded byTakayuki Kobayashi
Succeeded byMinoru Kiuchi
Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications
In office
11 September 2019 – 16 September 2020
Prime MinisterShinzo Abe
Preceded byMasatoshi Ishida
Succeeded byRyota Takeda
In office
3 September 2014 – 3 August 2017
Prime MinisterShinzo Abe
Preceded byYoshitaka Shindō
Succeeded bySeiko Noda
Ministerial offices
Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs
In office
26 September 2006 – 26 September 2007
Prime MinisterShinzo Abe
Preceded byYuriko Koike
Succeeded byFumio Kishida
Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy
In office
26 September 2006 – 26 September 2007
Prime MinisterShinzo Abe
Preceded byIwao Matsuda
Succeeded byFumio Kishida
Minister of State for Gender Equality and Social Affairs
In office
26 September 2006 – 26 September 2007
Prime MinisterShinzo Abe
Preceded byKuniko Inoguchi
Succeeded byYōko Kamikawa
Minister of State for Food Safety
In office
26 September 2006 – 26 September 2007
Prime MinisterShinzo Abe
Preceded byIwao Matsuda
Succeeded byShinya Izumi
Minister of State for Innovation
In office
26 September 2006 – 26 September 2007
Prime MinisterShinzo Abe
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Member of the House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office
11 September 2005
Constituency
In office
19 July 1993 – 8 November 2003
Constituency
Personal details
Born (1961-03-07) 7 March 1961 (age 63)
Yamatokōriyama, Nara, Japan
Political partyLDP (1996–present)
Other political
affiliations
Spouses
​
​
(m. 2004; div. 2017)​
​
​
(m. 2021)​
Children3 stepchildren
Alma materKobe University
OccupationBusiness manager • Politician
Signature
WebsiteGovernment website

Sanae Takaichi (高市 早苗, Takaichi Sanae, born 7 March 1961) is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of State for Economic Security from 2022 to 2024. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, she has served in the House of Representatives since 2005, and had also served in several ministerial posts under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In 2021, she was a candidate in the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election, but was ultimately eliminated prior to the runoff, placing third.[1] Takaichi made her second run for the LDP leadership in 2024, where she came in first in the first round but narrowly lost in a runoff to Shigeru Ishiba.

Takaichi has been described as having a "political reputation as a staunch conservative"[2] and as having been a close ally of former Prime Minister Abe.[3]

Early life

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Born and raised in the city of Nara, Takaichi graduated from Unebi Senior High School, Kobe University, and the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management. In 1987, she moved to the United States to work for Democratic U.S. Representative Pat Schroeder as a Congressional Fellow.[4] When she returned to Japan in 1989, she gained attention from the mass media as a legislative analyst with experience in the US Congress, and wrote books based on the experience. In 1992, she formed the Kansai Hi-Vision Consortium and presided as the first chairperson.

Political career

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Takaichi was first elected to the House of Representatives in the 1993 Japanese general election as an independent.[5] In the following year she joined the minor "Liberals" party led by Koji Kakizawa, which soon merged into the New Frontier Party.[6]

In 1996, Takaichi ran as a sanctioned candidate from the New Frontier Party and reelected to the House of Representatives (lower house). However, the New Frontier Party lost nationally. On November 5, she responded to recruitment from the Secretary-General of LDP Koichi Kato, and, then, joined the LDP. Her act of switching parties, two months after winning the election with anti-LDP votes, resulted in heavy criticism from New Frontier Party members.

In the LDP, Takaichi belonged to the Mori Faction (formally, the Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyū-kai) and she served as a Parliamentary Vice Minister for the Ministry of International Trade and Industry under Keizō Obuchi cabinet.[5] She also served as chairman of the Education and Science Committee.

In the 2000 House of Representatives election she was placed in the first position on the LDP's proportional representation list and easily won her third term. In 2002 she was appointed as the Senior Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry under Junichiro Koizumi.

In the 2003 Japanese general election, she was defeated in the Nara 1st district by Democratic Party lawmaker Sumio Mabuchi. She moved to the nearby city of Ikoma and won a seat representing the Nara 2nd district in the 2005 Japanese general election.[7] In 2004, while she was out of the Diet, she took an economics faculty position at Kinki University.[5]

Takaichi headed an LDP group that opposed legislation that would allow married couples to retain separate surnames after marriage, arguing that it would undermine Japan's traditional family system. As communications chief she "stirred controversy when she suggested TV broadcasters could have their license revoked if they air programs the government considers politically biased, a remark widely slammed as tantamount to the repression of free speech".[2]

She is affiliated with the ultranationalist organization Nippon Kaigi.[8]

First Abe government

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Takaichi served as Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs, Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy, Minister of State for Innovation, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Gender Equality[9] and Minister of State for Food Safety in the Japanese Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzō Abe.[5] In August 2007, she was the only Abe cabinet member to join former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in visiting Yasukuni Shrine on the anniversary of the end of World War II.[10]

Second Abe government

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After the LDP's victory in the 2012 Japanese general election, Takaichi was appointed to head the party's Policy Research Council. In January 2013, she recommended that Abe issue an "Abe Statement" to replace the Murayama Statement that apologized for the damage inflicted by Japan through its colonial rule.[11]

Takaichi was selected as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications to replace Yoshitaka Shindō on September 3, 2014. After she was named as a cabinet minister, a photograph was published of her together with Kazunari Yamada, the leader of National Socialist Japanese Workers' Party – a small neo-Nazi party in Japan. She denied any link with Yamada and said she would not have accepted the picture had she known Yamada's background.[12] She was also shown promoting a controversial book praising Adolf Hitler's electoral talents in 1994.[13]

Takaichi was among the three members of the cabinet to visit the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in 2014,[14] became the first sitting cabinet member to attend the shrine's autumn festival in 2016,[15] and was one of four cabinet ministers who visited Yasukuni on the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in August 2020.[16]

In the December 2014 general election, she won an overwhelming 96,000-vote majority in her district, defeating the runner-up by 58,000 votes.[17]

In February 2016, Takaichi commented that the government could suspend the operations of broadcasters that aired politically biased content.[18] The U.S. State Department later described this as "[giving] rise to concerns about increasing government pressure against critical and independent media."[19]

An electoral redistricting in 2017, which Takaichi oversaw as internal affairs minister, eliminated one of Nara Prefecture's districts and resulted in Takaichi again potentially facing off with her former rival Mabuchi.[7]

Takaichi was replaced by Seiko Noda on August 3, 2017, but returned to the Internal Affairs and Communications post on September 11, 2019, replacing Masatoshi Ishida. Among other initiatives, she put pressure on NHK to cut its viewing fees and reform its governance,[20] and oversaw the distribution of cash handouts during the COVID-19 pandemic.[21]

2021 LDP leadership election

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Main article: 2021 Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) leadership election

In August 2021, Takaichi expressed her willingness to challenge incumbent Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga for the presidency of the LDP in the scheduled election on September 29.[22] On September 3, Suga announced that he would not seek re-election; news media outlets reported the next day that former Prime Minister Abe had shifted his support to Takaichi.[23] Suga himself supported rival candidate Taro Kono.[24] She has been described as "a favorite of conservatives with hawkish views on defense and diplomacy".[2]

Internal ministry document leak

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On March 2, 2023, opposition upper house member Hiroyuki Konishi said that he had obtained a document from the former administration of Shinzō Abe suggesting intentions to intervene in the freedom of broadcasting by putting political pressure on broadcasters that were critical to the Abe government and to the Liberal Democratic Party.[25] Takaichi was Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications during the time frame referenced in the document. When pressed during a committee session the following day, Takaichi said that the document was "fabricated" and vowed to resign from the Diet if the document was proven to be genuine.[25] Several days later, on March 7, 2023, the Internal Affairs ministry confirmed the authenticity of the document in question, and opposition Diet members called on Takaichi to resign.[26] Following the announcement Takaichi backpedaled on her intention to quit and insisted that parts of the document referencing her were incorrect, adding that Konishi should bear the burden of proving the document's authenticity.[26]

Political positions

[edit]

Takaichi is a conservative. She has expressed social conservative views including opposition to same sex-marriage, and dual surnames after marriage,[27] claiming it could "destroy the social structure based on family units".[28]

In regards to the economy, she would continue Abenomics economic policies.[29]

With regards to foreign policy, Takaichi supports revising article 9 of the Japanese constitution which prohibits Japan from entering armed conflict.[27] A China-hawk, she has been critical of Chinese economic practices such as intellectual property theft and has supported less economic dependence on China.

In April and August 2024, she has visited the Yasukuni Shrine, both times signing as minister of state.[30][31] Takaichi serves as the vice chairperson of parliamentary conference of the Shinto Association of Spiritual Leadership (Shinto Seiji Renmei),[4] which advocates for restoration of Shinto religious rites and moral education.[32]

Takaichi often cites Margaret Thatcher as a role model.[27]

Personal life

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Takaichi married Taku Yamamoto, a fellow member of the House of Representatives, in 2004.[33] The couple did not have any children of their own, but Takaichi adopted her husband's three children from a previous marriage. They agreed to a divorce in July 2017, with Takaichi citing differing political views and aspirations as the reason for the divorce.[34][35] However, they rekindled their marriage in December 2021. She has four grandchildren through her stepchildren.[36][37]

According to Shūkan Bunshun, Sanae changed her legal last name to her husband's during their first marriage, as Japanese law requires all married couples to have the same family name. However, Taku changed his to his wife's instead after they married again.[38]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Junko Ogura, Selina Wang and Helen Regan (29 September 2021). "Fumio Kishida expected to become Japan's next Prime Minister after ruling party vote". CNN. Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
  2. ^ a b c Osaki, Tomohiro. "Could Japan soon have a female leader? Sanae Takaichi emerges as a contender". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 2021-09-05. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  3. ^ "Ex-PM Abe supports conservative ally Takaichi as Suga's successor". Kyodo News. 2021-09-04. Archived from the original on 2021-09-04. Retrieved 2021-09-04.
  4. ^ a b "プロフィール | 高市早苗(たかいちさなえ)". sanae.gr.jp. Archived from the original on 2024-09-29. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  5. ^ a b c d "The Cabinet: TAKAICHI Sanae". Prime Minister's Office. Archived from the original on 2019-10-26. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  6. ^ "新党結成、政界再編の歴史 写真特集：時事ドットコム". 時事ドットコム (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2024-09-01. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
  7. ^ a b Johnston, Eric (2017-05-21). "Redrawing of Nara's electoral map may force internal affairs chief into rematch with DP's Mabuchi". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 2017-05-21. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  8. ^ ""Abe's reshuffle promotes right-wingers". KoreaJoongangDaily.joins.com. Archived from the original on 2014-09-04. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  9. ^ Although the term "Youth Affairs" is used in its official English title, the original Japanese title shōshika (少子化) is more aptly translated as "diminishing birth rate issue".
  10. ^ "Japan's Abe skips visit to WWII shrine". The Toronto Star. 2007-08-16. Archived from the original on 2021-09-04. Retrieved 2021-09-04.
  11. ^ Martin, Alexander (2013-01-09). "Official Urges Abe to Review War Apologies". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on 2020-09-17. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  12. ^ "Neo-Nazi photos pose headache for Shinzo Abe". The Guardian. 9 September 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-09-09.
  13. ^ Bacchi, Umberto (11 September 2014). "Japan: Adolf Hitler Book Haunts Interior Minister Sanae Takaichi]"". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 2014-09-11.
  14. ^ "3 Japan Cabinet ministers visit controversial Yasukuni Shrine a day after PM Abe's offering". Straitstimes.com. 18 October 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-10-19.
  15. ^ "Abe aide prays for world peace during visit to war-linked Yasukuni Shrine". The Japan Times. 2016-10-19. Archived from the original on 2016-11-08. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  16. ^ "EDITORIAL: Ministerial visits to Yasukuni cast doubts on Abe's views on history". The Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original on 2020-08-18. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  17. ^ Johnston, Eric (2014-12-21). "In no-surprise poll, parties' main players re-elected in Kinki". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 2015-04-01. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  18. ^ Osaki, Tomohiro (2016-02-09). "Sanae Takaichi warns that government can shut down broadcasters it feels are biased". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 2016-02-09. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  19. ^ "Japan 2016 Human Rights Report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-05-15.
  20. ^ "Communications ministry asks NHK to cut viewing fees further". The Japan Times. 2020-02-06. Archived from the original on 2021-10-25. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  21. ^ "Japan kicks off application process for ¥100,000 virus-relief handouts". The Japan Times. 2020-05-01. Archived from the original on 2020-05-02. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  22. ^ "LDP's Takaichi seeks Japan's possession of 'national defense forces'". Mainichi Daily News. 2021-08-27. Archived from the original on 2021-09-04. Retrieved 2021-09-04.
  23. ^ "Ex-PM Abe supports conservative ally Takaichi as Suga's successor". Kyodo News. 2021-09-04. Archived from the original on 2021-09-04. Retrieved 2021-09-04.
  24. ^ Sim, Walter (2021-09-04). "Suga backs Kono, Abe picks Takaichi: Battle lines drawn in fight for Japan's top job". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 2021-09-04. Retrieved 2021-09-04.
  25. ^ a b "Japan minister vows to quit if document on broadcasters proven real". Kyodo News. 3 March 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-03-03. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  26. ^ a b "Japan ministry says files suggesting pressure on media were its documents". Kyodo News. 7 March 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-03-07. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  27. ^ a b c Rich, Motoko; Inoue, Makiko; Hida, Hikari (20 September 2021). "A Hard-Line Conservative Hopes to Be Japan's First Female Leader". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-09-20. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  28. ^ Jha, Preeti (3 March 2021). "The couples accused of destroying Japan's families". BBC. Archived from the original on 2021-03-03. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  29. ^ Brasor, Philip (2021-09-25). "Sanae Takaichi asserts her independence with the media". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 2021-09-25. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
  30. ^ "Japanese minister Takaichi visits Yasukuni Shrine". The Japan Times. 23 April 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-04-23. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  31. ^ "Three Cabinet ministers visit war-linked Yasukuni Shrine". The Japan Times. 15 August 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-08-15. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  32. ^ "Shinto Association of Spiritual Leadership (Shinseiren)". Constitutional Revision. Archived from the original on 2024-08-16. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  33. ^ "Marriage Report". Archived from the original on 2015-06-02. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
  34. ^ "高市総務相「仮面夫婦」だった自民党の山本拓衆院議員と離婚 〈週刊朝日〉". AERA dot. (アエラドット) (in Japanese). 2017-07-19. Archived from the original on 2020-09-08. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  35. ^ 「週刊文春」編集部 (27 April 2022). "高市早苗デッド政調会長の再婚 夫の山本拓血を求める・前衆院議員が「高市姓」に". 文春オンライン. Archived from the original on 2022-04-27. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
  36. ^ "高市早苗の家族は？息子は養子？孫の存在・結婚・離婚の情報についても調査！ ｜ monjiroBLOG". monjiroBLOG (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2021-09-28. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  37. ^ "高市総務相が山本拓議員と離婚 政治的立場の違いで - 社会 : 日刊スポーツ". nikkansports.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2024-09-18.
  38. ^ "(2ページ目)高市早苗政調会長の再婚 夫の山本拓・前衆院議員が「高市姓」に". 文春オンライン (in Japanese). 27 April 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-04-28.
[edit]
House of Representatives (Japan)
Preceded by Member of the House of Representatives
for Nara 2nd district
2005–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs
2006–2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy
2006–2007
Minister of State for Food Safety
2006–2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of State for Gender Equality and Social Affairs
2006–2007 		Succeeded by
New office Minister of State for Innovation
2006–2007 		Position abolished
Preceded by Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications
2014–2017 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications
2019–2020 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy
2022–2024 		Succeeded by
Minister of State for Economic Security
2022–2024
Preceded by Minister of State for Intellectual Property Strategy
2022–2024
Party political offices
Preceded by Chief of the Public Relations Headquarters,
Liberal Democratic Party
2012 		Succeeded by
Chairman of the Policy Research Council,
Liberal Democratic Party
2012-2014 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of the Policy Research Council,
Liberal Democratic Party
2021-2022 		Succeeded by
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