TOKYO: In a country that ranks poorly internationally for gender equality, the new president of Japan’s long-governing Liberal Democrats, and likely next prime minister, is an ultra-conservative star of a male-dominated party that critics call an obstacle to women’s advancement.
Sanae Takaichi, 64. admires former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and is a proponent of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s conservative vision for Japan.
Takaichi is the first female president of Japan’s predominantly male ruling party that has dominated Japan’s postwar politics almost without interruption.
She hardly touched on gender issues during the campaign, but on Saturday, as she tried out the party president’s chair and posed for a photo as is customary for the newly elected leader, Takaichi said: ”Now that the LDP has its first female president, its scenery will change a little.”
First elected to parliament from her hometown of Nara in 1993, she has served in key party and government posts, including minister of economic security, internal affairs and gender equality.
Female lawmakers in the conservative Liberal Democratic Party who were given limited ministerial posts have often been shunned as soon as they spoke up about diversity and gender equality. Takaichi has stuck with old-fashioned views favored by male party heavyweights.
Takaichi also admits she is a workaholic who would rather study at home instead of socializing. After unsuccessfully running for party presidency twice in the past, she made efforts to be more sociable to build connections as advised, she said.
But on Saturday, as she called for an all-out effort to rebuild the party and regain public support, she asked all party lawmakers to “work like a horse.” Then she added, “I will abandon the word ‘work-life balance.’ I will work, work, work and work.”
The “work-life balance” quickly trended on social media, triggering mixed reactions — support for her enthusiasm and concern about her work ethic.
Women comprise only about 15 percent of Japan’s lower house, the more powerful of the two parliamentary chambers. Only two of Japan’s 47 prefectural governors are women.
A drummer in a heavy-metal band and a motorbike rider as a student, Takaichi has called for a stronger military, more fiscal spending for growth, promotion of nuclear fusion, cybersecurity and tougher policies on immigration.
She vowed to drastically increase female ministers in her government. But experts say she might actually set back women’s advancement because as leader she would have to show loyalty to influential male heavyweights. If not, she risks a short-lived leadership.
Takaichi has backed financial support for women’s health and fertility treatment as part of the LDP policy of having women serve in their traditional roles of being good mothers and wives. But she also recently acknowledged her struggles with menopausal symptoms and stressed the need to educate men about female health to help women at school and work.
Takaichi supports the imperial family’s male-only succession, opposes same-sex marriage and a revision to the 19th-century civil law that would allow separate surnames for married couples so that women don’t get pressured into abandoning theirs.
She is a wartime history revisionist and China hawk. She regularly visits Yasukuni Shrine, which Japan’s neighbors consider a symbol of militarism, though she has declined to say what she would do as prime minister.
Political watchers say her revisionist views of Japan’s wartime history may complicate ties with Beijing and Seoul.
Her hawkish stance is also a worry for the LDP’s longtime partnership with Komeito, a Buddhist-backed moderate party. While she has said the current coalition is crucial for her party, she says she is open to working with far-right groups.
Japan’s first female governing-party leader is an ultra-conservative star in a male-dominated group
https://arab.news/64ebr
Japan’s first female governing-party leader is an ultra-conservative star in a male-dominated group
- Sanae Takaichi, 64. admires former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
- She hardly touched on gender issues during the campaign
Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister made secret trip to Israel, sources say
- The sources told Reuters that Wu had gone to Israel in recent weeks
- The sources declined to give details of whom he met or what was discussed, including whether he touched upon Taiwan’s new multi-layered air defense system called T-Dome
TAIPEI/JERUSALEM,: Taiwan’s high-profile Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu made a previously unpublicized visit to Israel recently, three sources familiar with the trip told Reuters, at a time when Taiwan is looking to the country for defense cooperation.
Taiwan has few formal diplomatic ties due to pressure from Beijing, which views the island as one of its provinces and not a country.
Like most other countries, Israel only officially recognizes Beijing and not Taipei, and while senior Taiwanese diplomats do travel abroad, trips to countries such as Israel are rare.
Still, Taiwan views Israel as an important democratic partner and offered strong support to the country after the October 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel and subsequent war in Gaza, and since then there has been an increased level of engagement.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters that Wu had gone to Israel in recent weeks. Two of the sources said the trip happened this month. The sources declined to give details of whom he met or what was discussed, including whether he touched upon Taiwan’s new multi-layered air defense system called T-Dome, which President Lai Ching-te unveiled in October and is partly modelled on Israel’s air defense system.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry declined to comment on whether Wu had visited Israel.
“Taiwan and Israel share the values of freedom and democracy, and will continue to pragmatically promote mutually beneficial exchanges and cooperation” in areas such as trade, technology and culture and welcome more “mutually beneficial forms of cooperation,” it said in a statement.
Israel’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
PROMINENT PROMOTER OF TAIWAN GLOBALLY
Wu was previously Taiwan’s de facto ambassador in Paris and is one of Taipei’s most prominent promoters on the international stage.
His last public foreign trip was an appearance at the Berlin Security Conference on November 19. Taiwan has seen strong parallels between the military threat it faces from its giant neighbor China, and Israel, which has clashed with neighbors including Iran. Israel and Iran traded missile and air strikes earlier this year, with Israel’s missile defense system shooting down many threats.
China, by contrast, has a close relationship with the Palestinians and has recognized a Palestinian state since 1988. Taiwan has said it does not plan to recognize a Palestinian state.
Speaking to reporters last month in Taipei, Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said that “of course in terms of technology and defense there is mutual learning and some interactions” between Taiwan and Israel. Just as Taiwan has proposed its T-Dome, so Israel has its Iron Dome, he added.
The T-Dome and Israel’s systems are similar, but different.
Israel’s multi-layered defense system includes the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow and US-made THAAD. The T-Dome is designed to establish a more efficient and integrated “sensor-to-shooter” mechanism for a higher kill rate, integrating existing systems like the US-built Patriot and Taiwan-made Sky Bow missiles and anti-aircraft guns.
TAIWAN, ISRAEL EXCHANGES INCREASING
Taiwan has little diplomatic footprint in the Middle East, though Taiwan and Israel have de facto embassies in Tel Aviv and Taipei.
Taiwan, whose government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, has been hosting Israeli officials and lawmakers.
In October, Wu met in Taipei with Yinon Aaroni, Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs, while in September Taiwan President Lai Ching-te met six Israeli lawmakers at his office. Also in October, Lai told a dinner in Taiwan of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee that Israel’s determination and capacity to defend its territory provides a “valuable model” for Taiwan, and cited the Biblical story of David against Goliath. Still, Taiwan ended up being embroiled in Israel’s attack last year on Hezbollah officials in Lebanon after the exploding pagers used carried the brand name of a Taiwanese company.
Both Taiwan and Israel at the time played down the impact from that on bilateral ties.
