Can Japan’s firebrand PM survive a second year in power? - podcast
One year ago, Sanae Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister, taking over a party in crisis. Since then, she’s defied the doubters, not just surviving as leader in a country that struggles with its gender politics – but winning convincingly at an election in February. She has faced President Trump, fraught relations with China over Taiwan and was even the subject of one of Anthony Albanese’s biggest controversies this year.
But could Japan’s prime minister be at her most politically dangerous moment yet? Tokyo correspondent Justin McCurry speaks to Reged Ahmad about whether Takaichi can ride out what comes next Sanae Takaichi took on Japan’s male-dominated politics and won – can she survive a second year in power?
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The GuardianSource headline and summary supplied via NewsData.io. First collected by NewsJaws on 2026-10-22. This is an automated news brief, not original NewsJaws reporting. Dates reflect the source publication. Feed delays may apply.