Japan’s 64-year-old Prime Minister Sanae Takai has unexpectedly gained popularity among young people shortly after taking office. Her handbags have been sold out, her pink pens are trending on social media, and even her favorite snacks are in high demand. This surge of popularity may help her win the upcoming election.
The Japanese House of Representatives election is set for this Sunday (February 8). Polls indicate that the wave of support known as “Sanakatsu” may assist the first female Japanese prime minister in gaining decisive backing in the election and advance her spending plans to boost Japan’s sluggish economy.
Recent polls this week suggest that with Sanae Takai’s personal charisma, her ruling coalition could win up to 300 out of the 465 seats in the House of Representatives. Considering her predecessor’s resignation after losing control of both houses in the past 15 months of elections, this is undoubtedly a remarkable turnaround.
Surprisingly, this staunch conservative leader has garnered high appeal among voters under the age of 30. According to a recent poll, her support rate exceeds 90% in this demographic, while her overall approval rating is around 60%.
Reported by Reuters, Takanori Kobayashi, a director at Hamano Company, the manufacturer of the $900 black leather bag frequently carried by Prime Minister Takai, expressed astonishment as young people rush to buy the bag, leading to a backlog of orders up to nine months.
“To be honest, we never expected this bag to become so popular,” Kobayashi said at the Hamano factory in Nagano Prefecture, central Japan. The factory’s notice board is filled with clippings about the prime minister.
“But the striking image of Prime Minister Takai’s brisk strides has caught a lot of attention, prompting young Japanese and foreign observers to be interested in our handbags,” Kobayashi added.
Prime Minister Takai boasts a massive following on social media, surpassing her competitors both within her ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition. She has around 2.6 million followers on the X platform, while the main opposition party leader Yukihiko Noda has approximately 64,000 followers.
According to a survey released by Japan’s public broadcaster NHK on Monday (February 2), Takai’s personal approval rating is nearly double that of the traditionally male-dominated Liberal Democratic Party.
In Japan’s typically dull political environment, her eye-catching videos stand out, such as her drumming performance with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung for the song “Golden” from the Netflix hit movie “K-Pop: Demon Hunter”, and her singing of a birthday song in Italian for Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni.
A recent campaign rally held by Takai in Saitama Prefecture near Tokyo attracted thousands of cheering supporters. Nineteen-year-old university student Yuki Namiki mentioned being intrigued by Takai through the viral content on social media.
“Well, she is Japan’s first female prime minister, so many young people like me are curious about what she wears on a daily basis,” Namiki said.
On January 19, Takai announced the early election, viewing this vote as a factual national referendum on her leadership and policies, including fiscal expansion and plans to strengthen national defense to counter the threat from China.
At a campaign truck outside Akihabara station, Takai shared her background coming from an ordinary family outside Japan’s political elite, touching on topics ranging from hair salon charges to immigration control.
Takai’s mother was a police officer, and her father worked at a car company. She once mentioned drawing inspiration from Margaret Thatcher, who rose from a commoner to become the UK’s first female prime minister and the longest-serving modern prime minister.
US President Donald Trump publicly endorsed Sanae Takai and her ruling coalition on Thursday (February 5), praising her as a strong, powerful, and wise leader who truly loves Japan.
“Prime Minister Sanae Takai has proven herself to be a strong, powerful, and wise leader, a leader who truly loves Japan,” Trump said. “I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Takai at the White House on March 19. During my visit to Japan, she left a very profound impression on me and all the representatives with me (from the United States).”
“Therefore, as the President of the United States of America, I am honored to give her and her highly respected ruling coalition my full and thorough endorsement. She will not disappoint the Japanese people!” Trump added, “I wish you good luck in this very important election on Sunday.”