Sanae Takaichi has become Japan’s first female prime minister, following an overwhelming vote in parliament on Tuesday (21 October).

Known as Japan’s Iron Lady, Liberal Democratic Party leader Takaichi is the fourth person to take on the top job since Shinzo Abe stood down in 2020, the BBC reported.

As well being an advocate of Abe’s economic policies, Takaichi is also a fan of Margaret Thatcher (hence the nickname) and holds staunch conservative views – including being opposed to same-sex marriage.

In 2023, while discussing Japan’s LGBT Understanding Promotion law, which seeks to avoid “unfair discrimination” of queer people, Takaichi said: “There should be no prejudice against sexual orientation and gender identity.” However, this is at odds with her statements elsewhere, when she described gay marriage as a “very difficult problem”.

Takaichi is also opposed to women keeping their maiden names after getting married, despite using her own during her two marriages to Liberal Democratic colleague Taku Yamamoto. Allowing wedded couples to use different surnames could “destroy the social structure based on family units”, she said.

Homosexuality is legal in Japan but the country lags behind when it comes to a ban on conversion therapy, as well as not recognising same-sex marriages.

Equaldex reported that recent polling shows the Japanese public are broadly supportive of LGBTQ+ rights. A survey in 2023 revealed that 72 per cent of respondents supported gay marriage.

Japan is the only G7 country where same-sex marriage hasn’t been legalised, although courts in the country have ruled a ban unconstitutional.

Same-sex couples can have civil unions but can’t inherit each other’s assets or adopt. Hospital visits where one of them is either dying or in a critical condition are not usually permitted because the partner is not legally recognised as a family member. 

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