Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a press conference after the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Nov. 1, 2025. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
Like her political hero, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Japan’s new conservative and first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, isn’t afraid of making waves in the Asia-Pacific region. More than a few of her new foreign policy shifts have rattled Beijing’s cage, to say the least, and for good reason.
The End of Japanese Pacifism
With the Chinese regime’s growing aggression in the Indo-Pacific in recent years, Tokyo has reassessed its regional security requirements and is actively pursuing a more active role in its national defense.
