Overseas Media Describe Takaichi on Track to Be 1st Female PM a ‘Milestone in Japan’

By Takashi Nakagawa and Keiichiro Azuma / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondents

20:02 JST, October 5, 2025

SEOUL/BEIJING — The New York Times reported Saturday that Sanae Takaichi winning the leadership election of the Liberal Democratic Party put her “on track to become Japan’s first female prime minister, a milestone in a country where women are vastly underrepresented in politics.”

Some British media compared Takaichi to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who was known as the Iron Lady. BBC reported, “[Takaichi] is now ever closer to fulfilling her Iron Lady ambition.”

The South Korean public is apparently wary of the results of the LDP presidential race. Yonhap News Agency reported that the presidency of Takaichi, who has regularly visited Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, could bring changes to the cooperative underlying tone of South Korea-Japan relations. “There are concerns that her past remarks and actions could worsen bilateral relations,” said a South Korean government official.

In China, major media outlets posted breaking news reports on her victory, describing Takaichi as “one of Japan’s leading right-wing politicians.” When asked for comment, the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry said, “The matter is an internal affair for Japan.”

The ministry added, “We hope the Japanese side will faithfully honor its political commitments on important issues such as history and Taiwan and implement a positive and rational policy toward China.”