Sanae Takaichi may seemingly have old-fashioned values, but it’s her economic offering that has captured young people’s imaginations
Japan has rarely seen a prime minister as bold or as social media-savvy as Sanae Takaichi, the country’s first female leader.
Where previous prime ministers have gone viral for unflattering moments, such as the spectacle of one scoffing an onigiri in one messy gulp or another caught dozing off in the parliament during a key vote, Takaichi is being read by supporters as a symbol of a different era of leadership – one they feel Japan has lacked in recent years.
In January alone, Takaichi’s early diplomatic outings have produced the kind of viral imagery Japanese politics rarely generates. A clip of her drumming with South Korean president Lee Jae Myung to global sensation BTS’s Dynamite and Golden from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters spread rapidly online, with some viewers even assuming it was AI-generated. Many expected her to clash with Lee, so the clip helped boost her image as a dependable leader who can navigate through geopolitical challenges.
Her appeal isn’t confined to diplomacy. She is so popular that she even has her own fandom, “Sana-katsu” – something more commonly seen with idols rather than prime ministers – complete with adoring supporters circulating clips and copying her look, even down to using the same pen.
