Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Touts ‘Diplomacy Week’; Leveraging Social Media to Reach Wider Audience

By Akihisa Ota and Akira Takata / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

7:00 JST, January 18, 2026

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is extolling the achievements of her “diplomacy week” after extending her “Takaichi-style” hospitality to the visiting leaders of South Korea and Italy.

Takaichi intends to forge personal ties with world leaders to facilitate cooperation on issues involving China and the United States. With an eye on the upcoming House of Representatives election, she is leveraging social media to showcase her diplomatic wins to a broader audience.

“It is a great honor that Giorgia celebrated her birthday in Japan. Together with the people of Japan, I would like to celebrate Giorgia’s birthday, Happy birthday, Giorgia.” Takaichi opened Friday’s joint press announcement with these words and a round of applause. She addressed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by her first name to honor her birthday, which was on the previous day.

At the luncheon that followed, Takaichi surprised her guest with a cake and sang the birthday song in Italian. Meloni was said to be very impressed, praising Takaichi’s Italian as perfect.

Meloni also said she had seen the video of Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung drumming together after Tuesday’s summit, calling the performance “wonderful.”

The video was posted on social media by the Prime Minister’s Office and picked up by domestic and international media. The Instagram post garnered over 770,000 likes.

An aide to the prime minister praised the effectiveness of the post, stating: “The South Korean side has also received it favorably. The video post is a huge success.”

However, Takaichi’s diplomacy faces significant challenges. Japan-China relations have chilled following the prime minister’s remark in the Diet regarding a Taiwan contingency, and China is intensifying its economic coercion, including a ban on the export of dual-use goods to Japan.

As nations grapple with the impact of diplomacy led by U.S. President Donald Trump, Takaichi aims to build close personal relationships with world leaders, including Trump, to ensure the stability of Japan’s diplomatic relations.

In both the Japan-South Korea and Japan-Italy summit meetings, the leaders — with China in mind — emphasized strengthening economic security cooperation and agreed to reinforce supply chains for critical minerals.

A Japanese government official looked back on Takaichi’s diplomatic efforts, stating, “With China aiming to isolate Japan, it’s of great significance that we could affirm cooperation with both nations while remaining mindful of China.”