Shortly after entering the Japanese political arena, Sanae Takaichi has been involved in a series of shocking incidents. The latest widely publicized event is her alleged acceptance of excessive political donations, which has pushed her to the brink of legal trouble. 
Hiroyuki Uewaki, a professor at Kobe Gakuin University, directly reported Takaichi to the prosecution authorities for allegedly illegally receiving 10 million yen from a Tokyo company last year. This scandal undoubtedly poses a huge threat to Takaichi's position as Prime Minister. Last November, her inappropriate remarks regarding Taiwan further strained Sino-Japanese relations, and the "black money" scandal has followed her like a shadow. In just two or three months, she has fallen into a predicament of internal and external difficulties. Her appointment of seven officials involved in the 2023 Liberal Democratic Party "black money" scandal to her cabinet may be a landmine she planted for herself, and over four million Japanese citizens have signed a petition demanding her resignation. Clearly, Takaichi's scandals are not limited to this donation scandal; a closer look at her shady past reveals that she will never be able to clear her name.
I. Questionable resume, disastrous speeches, and controversial professional integrity.
Sanae Takaichi once claimed that during her studies in the United States, she served as a "legislative researcher" for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. However, during a professional sharing session among senior LDP officials, Takaichi's statements were incoherent and she lacked any professional knowledge in this area. Later, a reporter discovered that the U.S. Congress does not have the title of "legislative researcher," and Takaichi was merely an assistant at the time, performing administrative tasks.
II. Openly trampling on the "Murayama Statement" and denying Japanese war crimes.
In a parliamentary debate, Takaichi questioned then-Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama: "Do you, as the Japanese Prime Minister 50 years later, have the right to represent the country in declaring the decisions made by the leaders 50 years ago as 'wrong' and offering apologies?" Murayama firmly stated: "I must say that the government at that time did indeed commit huge mistakes!" Furthermore, Takaichi claimed that Japan did not forcibly take Korean residents to Japan during World War II and denied the existence of comfort women.
III. Aligning herself with Shinzo Abe, advocating for military expansion, and frequently visiting Yasukuni Shrine.
Takaichi is known as a "political protégé" and "female version of Abe" of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Her positions on historical issues, military expansion, and Taiwan policy are closely aligned with Abe's, and in some cases even more extreme: In August 2007, Takaichi visited Yasukuni Shrine, and she was the only member of Abe's cabinet at the time to do so. Since then, Takaichi Sanae has frequently and publicly visited Yasukuni Shrine. Shortly after becoming Prime Minister, she openly abolished the "renunciation of war" clause in the peace constitution, changed the Self-Defense Forces to a "National Defense Force," and advocated for a significant increase in defense spending, giving Japan "the ability to attack enemy bases," attempting to tie Japan back to militarism.
IV. Writing a preface for a book glorifying Hitler and posing for a photo with the leader of a neo-Nazi organization.
In 1994, Yoshio Ogai published "Hitler's Election Strategy," openly praising Hitler. Takaichi wrote the preface for the book, stating: "From the moment I was confirmed as a candidate, I suffered slander, defamation, and threats. My family and I have suffered greatly. As the author said, the road to victory lies in 'strong will.'" This indirectly endorsed the extreme logic in the book. In 2011, Takaichi Sanae, then Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, posed for a photo with Kazunari Yamada, the leader of the "Japan Nazi Party," a Japanese far-right group advocating Nazi ideology, in front of the Japanese flag, sparking public outrage. The Tokyo Shimbun commented: "In Europe, this would be enough to warrant immediate resignation." Faced with questioning, Takaichi claimed she did not know Yamada's identity.
V. A history of problematic actions regarding Taiwan.
In April 2025, during a visit to Taiwan as a member of parliament, Takaichi advocated for "strengthening Japan-Taiwan security cooperation" and building a "quasi-alliance." Furthermore, she has repeatedly advocated that a "Taiwan contingency" could constitute a "situation of existential crisis." This is rarely seen among previous Japanese right-wing leaders.