TOPIC

/ people

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.

The Philippines

Opinion | US allies in Asia are looking to build middle-power coalitions

Faced with the US’ unreliability and China’s ascent, countries such as the Philippines are creating new networks of partnerships.

7 May 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

China-Japan relations

China condemns Japan’s first overseas ‘offensive missile’ test since WWII

6 May 2026 - 9:48PMvideocam

Japan

Bound by anxiety: Japan and Australia deepen ties for an uneasy age

6 May 2026 - 12:25PM

Japan

Why Japanese politician’s goal to reset ties with Russia is ‘a long shot’

A proposed meeting of foreign ministers from Tokyo and Moscow is unlikely for now due to objections from the Japanese public and allies.

6 May 2026 - 9:30AM

Japan

Opinion | The domestic dynamics driving Japan’s remilitarisation

Sanctions, diplomatic warnings and aggressive rhetoric create a perilous loop, reinforcing the very domestic tendencies China seeks to deter.

6 May 2026 - 9:30AMvideocam

Japan

Japan, Philippines to fast-track transfer of navy destroyers

The two countries’ shared grievances over Chinese territorial claims have seen them draw increasingly close in recent years.

5 May 2026 - 9:38PMvideocam

China-Japan relations

Takaichi signs Australia deals to boost Japan’s energy security

Japan’s prime minister penned agreements with her Australian counterpart as the two nations seek to pare reliance on Chinese rare earths and safeguard energy supplies amid the war in Iran.

5 May 2026 - 5:00PM

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Photo: Kyodo

China trade

China’s critical minerals grip faces test as new Asian financing tool launches

Japan, Britain and other nations have pledged millions to the new scheme, as China’s dominance of critical minerals sector faces fresh challenge.

4 May 2026 - 4:38PMvideocam

My Take

My Take | Why a resurgent Japan should absolutely scare everyone

Denying war guilt and remilitarisation are but two sides of the same ideological coin for the Japanese far right.

3 May 2026 - 9:00PM

Japan

Takaichi bound for Australia to strengthen economic, security ties

The Prime Minister’s three-day visit will focus on defence, critical minerals and broader economic security as Japan takes a more assertive military stance.

3 May 2026 - 6:11PMvideocam

Japan

Asian Angle | Why Japan-China ties can benefit from promoting people-to-people exchanges

Filling the information gap through direct contact between the two peoples can help improve both countries’ public images and ease tensions.

3 May 2026 - 9:00AM

Japan

Takaichi to hold talks in Vietnam on economic security, critical minerals

Both sides are expected to discuss cooperation in areas such as energy and artificial intelligence.

2 May 2026 - 4:15PMvideocam

Defence

Will Japan’s new arms export rules spark a high-end defence boom?

Updated regulations give Tokyo greater scope to sell lethal weapons overseas, prompting rebuke from China, but the industry still faces hurdles.

1 May 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

Ukraine war

Ukraine sees path to Japanese arms after Tokyo eases export rules

Japan has linked Ukraine’s fate to its own security as it faces China’s growing military power.

1 May 2026 - 9:58PMvideocam

Ukraine’s Ambassador to Japan Yurii Lutovinov poses next to a mockup of a Ukrainian-made Vampire drone during an interview at the Ukraine Embassy in Tokyo, Japan on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

China-Japan relations

Why is China warning the UN of a Japanese ‘nuclear breakout’?

Beijing asks the international body to prioritise Tokyo’s ‘dangerous tendency to seek nuclear weapons’ as regional row escalates.

30 Apr 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

A new position paper from China’s foreign ministry accuses Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of engaging in “probing and provocative remarks and actions” on nuclear weapons. Photo: Kyodo

China-Japan relations

In a fragmenting global order, former Japanese leader urges pivot to China

Yukio Hatoyama says the two powers should work together against ‘US arrogance’ and expand coalitions with like-minded nations.

29 Apr 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

Japan

As I see it | A remilitarised Japan threatens more than just China

As Japan expands its defence posture with the backing of major allies, its leaders seek to portray Beijing’s objections as an overreaction.

29 Apr 2026 - 9:30AM

SCMP Highlights

Takaichi faces headwinds, Filipino retiree loses life savings: 7 Asia highlights

From Indonesia’s ambitions outside of Asean to how a Filipino retiree lost his life savings, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

28 Apr 2026 - 2:22PM

Japan

‘I feel anger’: Japan’s women rise up against constitutional reform push

The women are part of a growing protest wave seeking to protect Japan’s post-war peace commitments.

27 Apr 2026 - 7:02PMvideocam

Japan

In hot water: Japan’s bathhouses struggle to stay afloat as oil prices spike

“Sentos” have cut operating hours and welcomed fewer customers, with some deciding to fold amid the energy crisis.

27 Apr 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

Hong Kong tourism

China-Japan tensions a boon to Hong Kong tourism for ‘golden week’: expert

Lawmaker and Miramar Group chief says hotel rates have jumped by as much as 8 per cent as tourists originally bound for East Asia choose city.

27 Apr 2026 - 8:34PM

Mainland Chinese tourists pose for pictures outside the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui on Saturday. Photo: Elson Li

South Korea

Will South Korea or Japan develop a nuclear deterrent of their own?

Seven in 10 South Koreans tell pollsters they want the bomb. Japan’s PM refuses to rule it out. Is ‘friendly proliferation’ next?

26 Apr 2026 - 8:00AMvideocam

An nuclear-capable Minuteman III ICBM sits inside a silo at an air force base in the US last year. Photo: US Air Force/Handout

Japan

Japanese protest ‘frightening’ easing of decades-old arms export curbs

New rules permitting the sale of lethal weapons overseas come as Japan ramps up defence ambitions and seeks to enter the global arms market.

24 Apr 2026 - 9:54PM

Japan

Japan’s PM Takaichi tells fellow politician she needs ‘more sleep’

The remark came as Takaichi’s leadership recently hit the six-month mark.

23 Apr 2026 - 4:37PM

Japan

Macroscope | Why fixing Japan’s monetary policy isn’t getting any easier

The wrong kind of inflation and the effects of the war in Iran complicate the outlook for Japanese interest rates.

23 Apr 2026 - 5:20PMvideocam

Customers queue at a discount ticket shop at Akihabara Electric Town in Tokyo on March 24. The weak yen is fuelling inflation by increasing the cost of imported goods, sapping consumers’ purchasing power and making it harder to tackle Japan’s cost-of-living crisis. Photo: EPA

China’s navy

Warning over Taiwan? PLA warships make rare transits off southwest Japan

‘Rare passage is a direct deterrent’ to the Japanese military bases along the coast, former PLA instructor says.

22 Apr 2026 - 9:07PM

The PLA’s Type 052DL upgraded guided-missile destroyer Baotou, which led the 133rd task force in western Pacific exercises this week. Photo: Handout

China travel

2,700 China-Japan flights axed in March as rift between Asian powers deepens

Nearly half of the planned flights between China and Japan were cancelled last month, as Beijing and Tokyo remain locked in a diplomatic feud.

22 Apr 2026 - 5:00PMvideocam

Japan

Video | Japan scraps long-standing arms export rules

Tokyo approves plan to scrap restrictions, prompting warnings that this could undermine the country’s pacifist constitution.

22 Apr 2026 - 4:39PM

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW

Sanae Takaichi

(高市早苗)

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | US allies in Asia are looking to build middle-power coalitions

Faced with the US’ unreliability and China’s ascent, countries such as the Philippines are creating new networks of partnerships.

China condemns Japan’s first overseas ‘offensive missile’ test since WWII

Bound by anxiety: Japan and Australia deepen ties for an uneasy age

Why Japanese politician’s goal to reset ties with Russia is ‘a long shot’

A proposed meeting of foreign ministers from Tokyo and Moscow is unlikely for now due to objections from the Japanese public and allies.

Opinion | The domestic dynamics driving Japan’s remilitarisation

Sanctions, diplomatic warnings and aggressive rhetoric create a perilous loop, reinforcing the very domestic tendencies China seeks to deter.

Japan, Philippines to fast-track transfer of navy destroyers

The two countries’ shared grievances over Chinese territorial claims have seen them draw increasingly close in recent years.

Takaichi signs Australia deals to boost Japan’s energy security

Japan’s prime minister penned agreements with her Australian counterpart as the two nations seek to pare reliance on Chinese rare earths and safeguard energy supplies amid the war in Iran.

China’s critical minerals grip faces test as new Asian financing tool launches

Japan, Britain and other nations have pledged millions to the new scheme, as China’s dominance of critical minerals sector faces fresh challenge.

My Take | Why a resurgent Japan should absolutely scare everyone

Denying war guilt and remilitarisation are but two sides of the same ideological coin for the Japanese far right.

Takaichi bound for Australia to strengthen economic, security ties

The Prime Minister’s three-day visit will focus on defence, critical minerals and broader economic security as Japan takes a more assertive military stance.

Asian Angle | Why Japan-China ties can benefit from promoting people-to-people exchanges

Filling the information gap through direct contact between the two peoples can help improve both countries’ public images and ease tensions.

Takaichi to hold talks in Vietnam on economic security, critical minerals

Both sides are expected to discuss cooperation in areas such as energy and artificial intelligence.

Will Japan’s new arms export rules spark a high-end defence boom?

Updated regulations give Tokyo greater scope to sell lethal weapons overseas, prompting rebuke from China, but the industry still faces hurdles.

Ukraine sees path to Japanese arms after Tokyo eases export rules

Japan has linked Ukraine’s fate to its own security as it faces China’s growing military power.

Why is China warning the UN of a Japanese ‘nuclear breakout’?

Beijing asks the international body to prioritise Tokyo’s ‘dangerous tendency to seek nuclear weapons’ as regional row escalates.

In a fragmenting global order, former Japanese leader urges pivot to China

Yukio Hatoyama says the two powers should work together against ‘US arrogance’ and expand coalitions with like-minded nations.

As I see it | A remilitarised Japan threatens more than just China

As Japan expands its defence posture with the backing of major allies, its leaders seek to portray Beijing’s objections as an overreaction.

Takaichi faces headwinds, Filipino retiree loses life savings: 7 Asia highlights

From Indonesia’s ambitions outside of Asean to how a Filipino retiree lost his life savings, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

‘I feel anger’: Japan’s women rise up against constitutional reform push

The women are part of a growing protest wave seeking to protect Japan’s post-war peace commitments.

In hot water: Japan’s bathhouses struggle to stay afloat as oil prices spike

“Sentos” have cut operating hours and welcomed fewer customers, with some deciding to fold amid the energy crisis.

China-Japan tensions a boon to Hong Kong tourism for ‘golden week’: expert

Lawmaker and Miramar Group chief says hotel rates have jumped by as much as 8 per cent as tourists originally bound for East Asia choose city.

Will South Korea or Japan develop a nuclear deterrent of their own?

Seven in 10 South Koreans tell pollsters they want the bomb. Japan’s PM refuses to rule it out. Is ‘friendly proliferation’ next?

Japanese protest ‘frightening’ easing of decades-old arms export curbs

New rules permitting the sale of lethal weapons overseas come as Japan ramps up defence ambitions and seeks to enter the global arms market.

Japan’s PM Takaichi tells fellow politician she needs ‘more sleep’

The remark came as Takaichi’s leadership recently hit the six-month mark.

Macroscope | Why fixing Japan’s monetary policy isn’t getting any easier

The wrong kind of inflation and the effects of the war in Iran complicate the outlook for Japanese interest rates.

Warning over Taiwan? PLA warships make rare transits off southwest Japan

‘Rare passage is a direct deterrent’ to the Japanese military bases along the coast, former PLA instructor says.

2,700 China-Japan flights axed in March as rift between Asian powers deepens

Nearly half of the planned flights between China and Japan were cancelled last month, as Beijing and Tokyo remain locked in a diplomatic feud.

.css-1t72pn8{color:#C79A00;}Video | Japan scraps long-standing arms export rules

Tokyo approves plan to scrap restrictions, prompting warnings that this could undermine the country’s pacifist constitution.

Opinion | US allies in Asia are looking to build middle-power coalitions

Video | Japan scraps long-standing arms export rules