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Sanae Takaichi

(高市早苗)

Sanae Takaichi

高市早苗

The latest news and top stories on Sanae Takaichi. A long-serving member of the Japanese House of Representatives, she has held numerous significant cabinet roles. Her past positions include Minister of State for Economic Security, Internal Affairs and Communications, Science and Technology Policy, and Youth Affairs and Gender Equality. Known for her staunch conservative views and close alliance with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi has focused on strengthening Japan’s economic security, cybersecurity and national defence. She has also chaired the LDP’s Policy Research Council and recently led a commission on public safety and cybercrime. Takaichi has twice contended for the LDP leadership.

Sanae Takaichi

(高市早苗)

Japan courts India, Malaysia to escape US-China AI duopoly

Fears over foreign software curbs have pushed Tokyo to pitch its own tech to Asian partners and others.

Japan’s overworked defence ministry plans first new bureau since 2007

Japan voters ‘pretty angry’ with PM Takaichi as support frays

Are Chinese tourists really to blame for overcrowding Japan’s Kyoto?

Data from the Kyoto City Tourism Association shows a sharp decline in Chinese overnight stays as a result of growing bilateral tensions.

China’s military mouthpiece issues full-page warning on Japan’s drone power

PLA Daily says unmanned platforms have allowed Tokyo to circumvent constitutional constraints on military development.

How India’s ‘practical’ alliances could reshape Indo-Pacific security

New Delhi’s ‘proactive new playbook’ aims to fill the vacuum left by fluctuating US commitments in the region, analysts say.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Macroscope | Why Japan should be able to weather a US market crash

Successive Japanese governments have spent decades building financial infrastructure that other Asian countries can emulate.

Japan changes rules to save shrinking monarchy, but bars female emperors

A revised imperial law keeps the long-standing male-only succession system, defying public support for female emperors.

‘Very worried’: US campaign against ICC leaves Japan in a bind

The initiative will make Tokyo weigh its international law commitments against its dependence on the US security umbrella, analysts say.

Giant Japanese trade group plans China visit amid tense economic ties

Delegation from prominent Japanese organisation seeks October talks in Beijing and Xian to repair business partnerships after geopolitical disputes snarled exchanges.

Is Japan a ‘spy paradise’ fuelling Russia’s war machine?

A New York Times article claims Maksim Vladimirovich Filchenkov, a top Russian official, is leading the covert operation in Japan.

Japan wants 60 million tourists, but China isn’t sending them

Tokyo is banking on a massive visitor boom to do what its factories and financiers increasingly cannot: carry the economy forward.

Uniqlo defies sluggish China market with double-digit profit growth

Parent company Fast Retailing shrugs off a 0.6 per cent drop in China’s total retail sales amid frayed Beijing-Tokyo ties.

Macroscope | 3 reasons behind the Japanese yen’s persistent decline

The continued slide in the yen has raised concern, but what happens in the bond market will determine whether the bearishness extends far beyond Japan.

Opinion | To boost manufacturing, India need not choose between Japan and China

Without Chinese suppliers on the ground, potential Japanese investments will struggle to reach the scale or speed the moment demands.

India and Japan to develop stealth tech for warships as faith in US wavers

The pact to equip Indian vessels with radar-evading antennas comes as China expands its own naval cooperation with Pakistan.

Macroscope | How ‘post-industrial’ buyer’s remorse set in for the West and Japan

After decades of hollowing out their manufacturing bases, Western and Japanese policymakers can and should do more than bewail China’s rise.

Why Japan’s Takaichi is eyeing an ‘easy win’ in India as domestic support drops

The prime minister is looking to make India an ‘important part’ of Japan’s security transition while boosting economic ties, analysts say.

Philippines’ Marcos is in Canada. What does it mean for Ottawa’s foreign policy?

While the Philippines and Canada are US allies, both are looking to expand partnerships with other middle-power countries, analysts say.

China’s pressure campaign tests Trump’s commitment to Japan

Tokyo expected stronger US support after Beijing retaliated over Taiwan comments, but analysts say Washington has held back.

‘My dream is broken’: foreign business owners in Japan lament new visa rules

Japan’s business manager visa holders surged to 46,000 by mid-2025 – up 70 per cent from 2020. About half were Chinese nationals.

China’s grip on global ship repair worries Japan. Can Tokyo end its dependence?

Tokyo’s new industrial strategy reflects growing concern over economic security amid frayed bilateral ties with Beijing, analysts say.

Meet AIko: Japan’s AI police chief taking on a US$2 billion scam epidemic

Japan has a new police chief. Her name is AIko, she lives on YouTube and she’s coming for scammers.

Chinese translation of Tokyo war trial records fill ‘critical gap’: state media

The 40-volume project marks the first time that the complete court records from the tribunal have been published in Chinese.

China-Japan flights to decline 57% in summer travel peak as tensions linger

Of Japan’s top five inbound tourism markets so far this year, mainland China is the only one where travellers require a visa.

2 Japanese held in China over alleged rare earths smuggling

Both detainees taken into custody last month about a week apart but at least one not suspected of spying.

Angry anti-war protesters jeer Japan’s Takaichi over softening pacifist stance

Demonstrators shouted slogans throughout the prime minister’s speech at a World War II memorial event in Okinawa.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Video | Japan raises visa fees fivefold

A single-entry visa will jump from 3,000 yen (US$18.54) to 15,000 yen, and a multiple-entry visa will rise from 6,000 yen to 30,000 yen.

Macroscope | Why Japan should be able to weather a US market crash

Video | Japan raises visa fees fivefold