One Month into Office, Prime Minister Takaichi Gains Reputation as a Workaholic
"No Time to Drink" ... Early Morning Meetings Spark Debate
Kyodo News: "Eats Boxed Meals and Studies Instead of Attending Dinners"
Reports have emerged that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has devoted herself to studying policy for a month since taking office, without arranging any external dining engagements. On the 20th, Yonhap News Agency, citing Kyodo News, reported, "Since her inauguration, Prime Minister Takaichi has not attended any dinners outside the Prime Minister's Office or her residence. After finishing her work, she returns directly to her accommodation, has dinner with a boxed meal, and spends her time studying matters related to the National Diet and summit diplomacy."
Sanae Takaichi, the Prime Minister of Japan, is listening to President Jae Myung Lee's remarks during the first session of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit held at the Gyeongju Hwabaek Convention Center (HICO) on the 31st of last month. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
According to Yonhap News Agency, the activities of the Japanese Prime Minister are reported in detail every day under sections such as "Prime Minister's Schedule." When the Prime Minister dines with fellow lawmakers or business leaders, the participants and locations are typically made public. However, it has been reported that Prime Minister Takaichi has not had a single external meal. She is said to have remarked, "If I have time to drink, I would rather refine policies and read materials," and mostly commutes between her residence and the Prime Minister's Office.
Her predecessors, Shigeru Ishiba and Fumio Kishida, refrained from dining out for a while after dissolving the House of Representatives and holding general elections immediately upon taking office, but frequently dined outside after the elections. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, after taking office for the second time in December 2012, reportedly attended more than 10 dinners per month.
Kyodo News stated, "Dinners are valuable opportunities to strengthen the political base and formulate policy," and noted, "When Prime Minister Takaichi lost the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election last year, there was criticism that 'building alliances with colleagues was a challenge,' so there were periods when she attended several dinners, but frequent gatherings did not become the norm."
Previously, Prime Minister Takaichi also drew attention for starting her workday at dawn. Before attending her first House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting on the 7th, she reportedly arrived at the official residence around 3 a.m. to hold meetings with her secretaries. After controversy arose over her harsh working hours, it is said that she has increasingly spent time reading materials at her residence and making inquiries by phone as needed.
After winning the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election on the 4th of last month, Prime Minister Takaichi declared, "I will abandon the phrase 'work-life balance'" and said, "I will work, work, work, work, and keep working." On the 13th, she mentioned in the House of Councillors that "I usually sleep for about two hours, and at most four hours." According to Kyodo News, those around the Prime Minister have responded to her attitude by saying, "It may be her own way, but I hope she doesn't work too hard," and "I hope she takes a proper rest from time to time."
Recently, the approval rating for the Takaichi Cabinet has remained high. Immediately after its launch on the 21st of last month, some polls showed support exceeding 80 percent, and in a survey conducted by Kyodo News on the 15th and 16th of this month, the approval rating rose by 5.5 percentage points from the previous month to reach 69.9 percent.
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