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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.

Wang Yi and Sergei Shoigu, pictured in Beijing on Sunday. Photo: Xinhua

China-Russia relations

Could Greenland and Iran have been factors in latest China-Russia talks?

Sunday’s meeting between senior officials saw Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warning against the ‘law of the jungle’.

2 Feb 2026 - 10:16PMvideocam

Sanae Takaichi

(高市早苗)

Could Greenland and Iran have been factors in latest China-Russia talks?

Sunday’s meeting between senior officials saw Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warning against the ‘law of the jungle’.

Do voters expect smiles? Why masks hurt female politicians in Japan

Japan’s Takaichi seeks mandate, improved majority with snap election: poll

PLA Navy warns off foreign jets with jamming missiles near Taiwan: CCTV

State broadcaster says Yanan destroyer encountered aircraft near the island and took ‘electronic countermeasures’.

Japan, UK agree outer space, critical mineral supply chains collaboration

PMs Sanae Takaichi and Keir Starmer also said they’d work together in other areas, including cybersecurity, trade and defence.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Macroscope | Could Japan stop being the ballast of the bond market?

A lower house election victory would give flight to Prime Minister Takaichi’s fiscal expansionism – and introduce upheaval far beyond Japan.

Japan and South Korea bolster defence ties amid regional tensions

Defence chiefs agree to joint AI, space, and drone development, aiming to stabilise the region against growing missile threats.

Why more Japanese than ever support strengthening the military

A record-high survey result reflects how the war in Ukraine and regional tensions have reshaped Japan’s once cautious security outlook.

Why US defence strategy may hurt leaders in South Korea, Japan

The National Defence Strategy states that the US will provide ‘more limited’ support to its allies in line with the ‘America-first’ policy.

Why Japan’s public is ‘happy’ to see a Chinese tourist drought

Travel operators say business has so far remained resilient, with strong demand from other parts of Asia, Europe and the US.

Ties will collapse if US forces are hit in Taiwan and Tokyo won’t act: Takaichi

‘We would respond strictly within the limits of the law,’ Japanese PM says, elaborating on remarks that angered Beijing in November.

Beijing issues new Japan travel warning as row over PM’s Taiwan comments drags on

Citizens warned against visiting ahead of Lunar New Year holiday as Chinese airlines extend deadline for refunds or flight changes.

.css-rcruog{color:#C79A00;}Video | Panda fans in Japan bid farewell to popular pair

Online applications for panda viewing lottery slots were 25 times the available 4,400 places.

Spiking yen fuels risk-averse mood as investors take defensive stance

Yen hits two-month high amid fears US and Japan will intervene to prop up the currency ahead of Japan’s election next month.

‘They were cute’: Japan fans jostle for final glimpse of China-bound pandas

The departure of Xiao Xiao and his sister, Lei Lei, will leave Japan without any pandas for the first time since 1972.

Has Japan’s tourism peaked? Row with China set to slow arrivals from record high

A major travel firm says tourist arrivals in Japan are expected to fall this year from a record 42.7 million in 2025.

Video | Japan posts record tourist arrivals despite China row

The number of mainland Chinese tourists visiting Japan had dropped 45 per cent in the month of December amid tensions between Beijing and Tokyo.

Japan halts world’s largest nuclear plant hours after restart

TEPCO halted the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa restart after a monitoring alarm sounded, but confirmed the reactor is stable with no radioactive impact.

Japan restarts first nuclear reactor since Fukushima under close scrutiny

The No 6 unit at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa reached criticality on Wednesday, a key step in Japan’s push for stable energy despite lingering safety fears.

Japan bond volatility raises contagion alarm for Asia’s stocks and debt

Japan’s yield spike is testing safe-haven assumptions, with markets debating whether the movement is local or systemic.

China has tools to step up trade curbs on Japan amid tensions: Morgan Stanley

But Beijing is likely to conclude that further action would be counterproductive, according to the investment bank.

‘Unprecedented’: Japan’s 1-party era under threat as centrists unite

The new CDP-Komeito pact marks a ‘turning point’ in Japanese politics that could finally end the LDP’s decades-long grip, analysts say.

Japan’s last 2 giant pandas set for early trip home to China as tensions spiral

Return of twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei to mark first time Japan will be without any pandas since normalisation of diplomatic ties in 1972.

Japan’s Takaichi rolls dice on snap poll, bets popularity can save scandal-hit LDP

The PM stakes her future on a February 8 vote, but one expert warns her support may not save a ruling party dogged by funding scandals.

‘Foreigner fatigue’: how xenophobia hijacked Japan’s national conversation

Record immigration and the ‘Trump factor’ fuelled a xenophobic election surge, but analysts say another political target is emerging.

Japan urged to ‘correct historical errors’, return Tang dynasty stele to China

9.5-tonne stone slab shipped to Japan as ‘war trophy’ in 1908 is described as one of China’s most significant ‘lost national treasures’.

In Japan, fears of China’s antibiotics dominance spur calls for self-sufficiency

China has reportedly imposed curbs on rare earth shipments to Japan, and there are concerns that these could be extended to medical products.

Japan, US vow ‘unshaken’ defence ties despite Trump’s pivot from Asia

‘We talk about America first, yes, but it doesn’t mean America alone,’ Pentagon chief Hegseth tells Japanese Defence Minister Koizumi.

Macroscope | Could Japan stop being the ballast of the bond market?

Video | Panda fans in Japan bid farewell to popular pair