Sanae Takaichi, Japan's First Female PM: Marriage At 43, Adoption, Divorce, Husband Took Her Surname

Sanae Takaichi is set to become Japan's first female Prime Minister after defeating Shinjiro Koizumi in party elections by securing 54.25% of the vote in the runoff. The former Economic Security Minister also created history on October 4, 2025, when she was appointed President of Japan's dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The 64-year-old politician is dubbed "Japan's Iron Lady" for her reputation as an uncompromising, hawkish, and highly conservative politician. She is even compared to former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, a late politician famous for her strictly uncompromising character.

Japan's first female Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi: Meet LDP's President, AKA 'Japan's Iron Lady', who will succeed outgoing PM, Shigeru Ishiba

According to reports, while Sanae Takaichi's party has won the leadership election, the final confirmation of the appointment of a new Prime Minister will be made after the results of the Diet votes are confirmed. The diet vote is scheduled for October 15, 2025, after which we will move closer to the oath ceremony, which will take place in the latter days of the same month. The outgoing Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, was appointed as Japan's Prime Minister in October 2024.

After LDP suffered a historic defeat in July 2025, Shigeru Ishiba resigned and stepped down as Japan's Prime Minister and as the head of his conservative Liberal Democratic Party. The entire world is celebrating the emergence of Sanae Takaichi as Japan's next Prime Minister. Still, the critics have already started mentioning the challenges she is set to face as the country's first female PM. International observers will be watching her stance on relations with China and South Korea.

US President, Donald Trump congratulated Sanae Takaichi, labelling her as a person with 'great strength and wisdom'

Critics will closely monitor Sanae Takaichi's foreign policy, as she will face multiple domestic challenges, including inflation, public discontent, and economic stagnation. Apart from these challenges, Takaichi also has to navigate the US-Japan relationship, which has been marked by a series of ups and downs recently due to the tariff deal. The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, congratulated Takaichi for being set to become Japan's first female PM. He wrote in his message on X:

"Japan has just elected its first female Prime Minister, a highly respected person of great wisdom and strength. This is tremendous news for the incredible people of Japan. Congratulations to all!"

Who is Sanae Takaichi's husband, Taku Yamamoto? Meet the Japanese former politician of the Liberal Democratic Party

Moving on to Sanae Takaichi's personal life, she is married to Taku Yamamoto, a former Japanese politician from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). He was a Member of the House of Representatives from November 2003 to October 2021. According to multiple reports, Takaichi and Yamamoto got married in 2004, when both were active members of the LDP. If the reports are to be believed, Yamamoto's brother worked as a parliamentary aide in Takaichi's office, which reportedly laid the foundation of her relationship with Yamamoto.

When Sanae Takaichi and Taku Yamamoto got married in 2004, while she was 43, he was 52. The couple never had biological children of their own, but Sanae legally adopted her husband's three kids, which Yamamoto had from his previous marriage. Unfortunately, in 2017, Takaichi announced that she had divorced Yamamoto, and several media outlets speculated that it was due to their "differences in political views and aspirations."

However, to everyone's surprise, after a gap of almost four years, Sanae Takaichi and Taku Yamamoto rekindled and remarried in December 2021. However, what caught everyone's eyes was Taku's decision to leave his surname, 'Yamamoto' and adopt his wife's last name, 'Takaichi'. The couple was recently in the news when it was reported that Taku had suffered a cerebral infarction in 2025, due to which the right side of his body was paralysis. While being active in politics, Takaichi also takes care of her husband, just like any doting wife in the world, which speaks volumes about her character in real life.

Japan's first female PM, Sanae Takaichi's personal life: Birthplace, religion, education, and a former motorcyclist and drummer of a metal rock band

Before we sign off, let's talk about Sanae Takaichi's personal background. She was born in 1961 in Nara Prefecture, Japan. While her father worked for an automobile firm, Takaichi's mother served as a police officer. Talking about Takaichi's education, she attended Nara Prefectural Unebi High School and graduated from Kobe University. She also studied at the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management. Not only this, but before entering politics, she worked as a TV broadcaster/anchor, legislative aide, and as a fellow in the US with Pat Schroeder.

However, not everyone is aware of the hidden fact that Sanae Takaichi, who is set to become Japan's first female Prime Minister, indulged in a series of unique hobbies in the past. During her university days, Takaichi was a skilled drummer who was a part of a heavy metal band. Not only this, but she was a motorcycle enthusiast who sported pink hair during the good old days. Her other hobbies include scuba diving, watching martial arts, and driving cars. Coming to her religion, there's no credible information about it in the public domain, but her ideologies lean towards conservative values.

What are your thoughts on LDP leader, Sanae Takaichi, who is set to become Japan's first female Prime Minister? Let us know.

Also Read: Meet Japan's Former Princess Mako, Who Left Royal Status, Wealth, Rs 13 Crore To Marry A Common Man

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