Takaichi is a staunch conservative who has long opposed legislation allowing married women to keep their maiden names, insisting it undermines tradition. She is also against same sex marriage.
However, she has recently softened her tone. During her campaign she vowed to make babysitter fees partially tax-deductible and proposed corporate tax breaks for companies that provide in-house childcare services.
Her family and personal experiences underpin her policy proposals: expanding hospital services for women’s health, giving household support workers greater recognition, and improving care options for Japan’s ageing society.
“I have personally experienced nursing and caregiving three times in my life,” she said. “That’s why my determination has only grown stronger to reduce the number of people forced to leave their jobs due to caregiving, child-rearing or children refusing to attend school. I want to create a society where people don’t have to give up their careers.”
A protégé of the late Shinzo Abe, she pledged to revive his “Abenomics” economic vision of high public spending and cheap borrowing.
She has been a regular visitor to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which honours Japan’s war dead including convicted war criminals.
She has also called for easing constitutional restrictions on the country’s Self-Defence Forces, which are forbidden from having offensive capabilities.
AloJapan.com