Japan has a new prime minister: Sanae Takaichi.
She’s a former biker chick, and was once a drummer in a heavy metal band. From 1987 to 1989, she lived in the USA, where she was a congressional fellow for Democrat Pat Schroeder. (My guess is that this was an apolitical cross-cultural exchange program, rather than anything partisan.)
Japan’s first female PM is a staunch conservative. That will delight some readers, and horrify others.
Takaichi plans to maintain strict immigration controls. She also intends a strong national defense policy for Japan. She is in favor of revising Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, the postwar clause (written by American occupation officials shortly after World War II), that prohibits Japan from possessing any offensive military capabilities.
Japan is not a Christian country, so social issues are different there. But in this realm, too, Takaichi is a conservative. She is opposed to redefining Japan’s definition of marriage to include same-sex couples, threesomes, groups, etc.
I suspect that she will make some appearances on American news programs in the not too distant future. I have only heard her speak Japanese thus far, but I would imagine that she has a decent command of English after her two years in the United States. We shall see.
I am definitely going to be watching the news (in both English and Japanese) for more information about Prime Minister Takaichi.
これで日本が良くなるだろう。
-ET
