How Japan’s First Female Leader Won Over Disillusioned Young Voters
From viral handbags to selfies with world leaders, Sanae Takaichi's social savvy is paying off with the youth. That popularity will be put to the test in Japan’s upcoming lower-house election.
Sanae Takaichi speaks at an election rally in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, on Feb. 3.
Photographer: Soichiro Koriyama/Bloomberg
Three months into her tenure as Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi is connecting with younger voters in a way her predecessors failed.
She plays KPop Demon Hunters’ “Golden” on the drums with South Korea’s president and takes selfies with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. In the evenings, she prefers to sharpen her policy knowledge at home, rather than wining and dining Japan’s old-guard business elite behind closed doors. From her handbags to her pink pens, orders are surging for items that have unexpectedly captured the zeitgeist.