Japan's new Prime Minister says she prefers to let the population shrink rather than bring in waves of low-skilled immigrants to offset the decline because the preservation of Japanese society matters more than cheap labor. pic.twitter.com/LInNuZKrRP
— Ian Miles Cheong (@ianmiles) October 22, 2025
Sanae Takaichi has made history by becoming Japan’s first female prime minister. However, this was hardly a win for feminist or progressive politics.
Takaichi is a right-wing ultraconservative whose policy positions derive from traditionalist perspectives on the role of women, Japanese history and society more broadly.
She has the same anti-immigrant positions as conservatives and right-wing populists the world over, defending “national identity and traditional values”, while emphasising the importance of strong economic growth.
Far from solving Japan’s economic problems, however, policies that restrict immigration tend to cause labour shortages and inflation.
Japan is the canary in the coalmine for many developed countries suffering a demographic crisis due to falling birth rates. Japan’s population has declined for 16 consecutive years.
Unless Takaichi adopts a more pragmatic approach on immigration, her tenure could be one of economic stasis and relative decline.