Japan's First Female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Supported by 'Stealth Husband' Who Remains Behind the Scenes

Sanae Takaichi's husband has chosen to take on a "stealth husband" role, offering behind-the-scenes support to Japan's first female Prime Minister.

Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will receive quiet domestic support from her husband Taku Yamamoto, who plans to remain largely out of public view while she leads the nation.

"Unlike in the West, it is better for a partner to stay out of the spotlight," Fukui Television quoted 73-year-old Yamamoto saying following Takaichi's appointment as premier.

Yamamoto emphasized that Takaichi must be able to "pursue her vision of Prime Minister" without interference, adding that he wants "to provide solid support as 'a stealth husband' to ensure that my presence does not become an obstacle," according to reports from Asahi newspaper and Fuji Television.

Their relationship has followed an unconventional path. Yamamoto, a former Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmaker, first married Takaichi in 2004, but they divorced in 2017 citing "differences in political views." The couple reconciled and remarried in 2021 after he reportedly supported her unsuccessful bid for LDP leadership that year.

Takaichi, who recently won the LDP leadership contest, holds conservative views on gender issues even within Japan's traditionally conservative LDP. Her cabinet includes just two other women: Satsuki Katayama as finance minister and Kimi Onoda as economic security minister.

She opposes revising Japan's 19th-century law requiring married couples to share a surname, despite facing personal complications from this regulation. During their first marriage, Takaichi took Yamamoto's name for official purposes, while in their second marriage, he adopted hers.

The couple resides in parliamentary housing in Tokyo, where Takaichi helps care for Yamamoto following his stroke earlier this year and prostate cancer diagnosis in 2024.

Their relationship began with an unexpected phone proposal in 2004, when Yamamoto reportedly told Takaichi: "as I have a chef's licence, I'll make sure you eat delicious food throughout your life." Takaichi, a Margaret Thatcher admirer and former heavy metal drummer, initially described him as "rather unsociable" and someone she "wasn't very comfortable to be with."

Yamamoto won her over when he offered himself as a marriage candidate after his previous divorce. Both eventually served as parliament members, though Takaichi briefly lost her seat in 2003 before regaining it two years later.

Since Takaichi acknowledged her limited cooking skills, Yamamoto has taken charge of meal preparation, declaring "the kitchen is my domain, so please don't enter," according to Jiji Press.