Amid global uncertainty, assertive Sanae Takaichi has the mandate to pursue structural reforms: Sanjaya Baru Premium

Sanae Takaichi's rise as Japan's first female PM signals potential structural reforms amid global uncertainties, asserts analyst Sanjaya Baru.

Japan’s strategic identity appears to be entering a decisive phase. With Sanae Takaichisecuring a two-thirds parliamentary majority and becoming the country’s first woman Prime Minister, Tokyo seems poised for a more assertive turn economically, politically and militarily. Her rise comes at a time of intensifying U.S.-China rivalry, uncertainty in global trade, and renewed debates within Japan about defence and constitutional limits.

Is Ms. Takaichi merely extending the transformation initiated by Shinzo Abe, or does her mandate mark something more consequential? How will Japan position itself between Washington and Beijing? And what does this mean for India, which sees Japan as a central partner in the Indo-Pacific?

In an interview with The Hindu, public policy analyst and former adviser to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sanjaya Baru, discusses Ms. Takaichi’smandate, the legacy of Shinzo Abe, Japan’s evolving defence posture, and the future of India-Japan ties. Edited excerpts.

Japan has gone through years of short-lived Prime Ministers and cautious leadership. Who is Sanae Takaichi, and why does her rise matter at this moment?

It is historic that she is Japan’s first woman Prime Minister and that she has secured an absolute majority. But beyond symbolism, her rise is significant because Japan’s political trajectory over the past quarter century has alternated between transformative leadership and periods of drift.

The early 2000s saw leaders such as Yoshiro Mori, Junichiro Koizumi and Shinzo Abe shape Japan’s direction. After Abe’s resignation due to ill-health and later his assassination, Japan experienced a succession of less decisive Prime Ministers. Takaichi clearly belongs to the Abe lineage. She represents continuity with his twin emphasis on restoring Japan’s economic competitiveness and enhancing its strategic relevance.