 "PM Modi congratulates Sanae Takaichi on being appointed Japan’s prime minister")
Shortly after the Japanese parliament’s lower house appointed Sanae Takaichi as the premier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday congratulated her and said he looked forward to working with her to strengthen the India-Japan relationship.
Takaichi is the first woman Prime Minister of Japan. She will formally assume office later in the day after a meeting with Emperor Naruhito.
“Heartiest congratulations, Sanae Takaichi, on your election as the Prime Minister of Japan. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen the India–Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Our deepening ties are vital for peace, stability, and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific and beyond,” said Modi in a post on X.
Heartiest congratulations, Sanae Takaichi, on your election as the Prime Minister of Japan. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen the India–Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Our deepening ties are vital for peace, stability, and prosperity…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 21, 2025
India and Japan are close economic and defence partners. In India, Japan is a key developmental partner and is part of several infrastructure projects. In the Indo-Pacific, the two countries work closely bilaterally and in multilateral forums like the Quad as part of their commitment of free and open region and checking China’s hegemonic designs.
Japan’s lower house of parliament appointed Takaichi as the premier with 237 votes in the 465-member house.
Despite her appointment as the first woman prime minister, Takaichi is a social conservative and is not expected to pursue a progressive agenda. Instead, Japan expected to move to the right on immigration and social issues. Moreover, she opposes same-sex marriage and a growing movement in the country to allow married couples to have separate surnames. She is also a visitor to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine that honours Japan’s war criminals from World War II.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsTakaichi’s hawkish stance on China is likely raise tensions with China and her ties to the Yasukuni Shrine is likely to complicate her relationships with South Korea. For context, Japan and Koreas have a tense history as Japan controlled Korea as a colony in the 20th century until its defeat in World War II. Japan committed widespread atrocities during this occupation, such as pushing women into sexual slavery and conscripting people into forced labour.
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