On the 18th of November, we co-hosted a truly engaging discussion: “Japan’s Iron Lady? Sanae Takaichi and the New Japanese Government.”

During the event, Dr. Casper Wits (Lecturer in East Asian Studies at Leiden University & HIG analyst Japan), Thomas Kavadias (Policy Officer East Asia, Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken), and Mina Pollmann (Japan Research Fellow, Leiden Asia Centre) explored the implications of Sanae Takaichi becoming Japan’s first female prime minister.

The discussion covered a wide range of themes: from Takaichi’s political background and Japanese security and social policies, to broader contemporary geopolitical dynamics in East Asia. It was delightful to see such an engaged audience during the event’s Q&A session.

This event was the first collaboration between BASIS and HIG – The Hague Institute for Geopolitics. Looking forward to building on this partnership in the future.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Wijnhaven Campus for this wonderful event.