TOKYO — Charismatic, blunt-speaking, and unafraid of controversy, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is poised to further consolidate her political power as Japan heads into a crucial lower house election on Sunday, with polls indicating potential gains for the long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

A heavy-metal music enthusiast who rides motorcycles and plays the drums, even with visiting dignitaries, Takaichi has cultivated a public image that blends toughness with an unexpectedly playful edge. Her oft-repeated mantra for leadership, “work, work, work, work, work,” has resonated with supporters and helped make her one of the most popular prime ministers in recent memory, an uncommon feat in a country where public approval of leaders is often fleeting.

In contrast to the succession of elderly male leaders who have dominated Japanese politics for decades, Takaichi’s appeal is strongest among younger voters. Many affectionately refer to her by her nickname, “Sana,” and closely follow her fashion choices, favorite stationery, and even her preferred comfort food, steamed pork buns. Analysts say her popularity has lifted the LDP, a party burdened by long-standing structural and image problems, into a strong position ahead of the vote.

A victory would give Takaichi greater latitude to steer Japan further along the hawkish and deeply conservative path championed by her late mentor, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Born in Nara, Japan’s ancient capital, Takaichi was raised in a conservative household steeped in prewar moral values. Her mother served as a police officer, while her father worked for a machinery manufacturer. She has recalled listening as a child to her parents recite an 1890 imperial document emphasizing loyalty to the state and traditional family roles.

Despite admission to elite universities in Tokyo, her parents required her to attend Kobe University while living at home—then a common expectation for unmarried daughters in conservative families. In the late 1980s, she briefly interned for a U.S. Democratic lawmaker in Denver before returning to Japan to work as a television personality, author, and social critic.

Political observers attribute her appeal to an unusual combination of candor and approachability. Izuru Makihara, a politics expert at the University of Tokyo, said Takaichi is particularly admired by women and young people who feel “stuck and hopeless” in contemporary Japan.

Elected prime minister by Parliament in October, Takaichi quickly signaled a more assertive foreign policy stance, drawing criticism from China after comments on the possibility of Chinese military action against Taiwan that departed from Japan’s traditional strategic ambiguity.

Her political career began in 1993, when she won a seat in Parliament at age 32, despite her parents’ opposition. She has recalled being dismissed as “a little girl” by voters and facing sexist rumors and criticism over her appearance, including her choice of heels, jewelry, and skirts.

“I am who I am,” Takaichi said in 2023. “The only way to prove myself is with the work I do.”

Ideologically, Takaichi supports the imperial family’s male-only succession, opposes same-sex marriage, and rejects amending the law requiring married couples to share a surname, a policy critics say disproportionately pressures women to abandon their own names. Feminist groups argue her leadership represents a setback for gender equality, though some voters dismiss gender as irrelevant. “Her being a woman doesn’t matter,” said Riho Shimogomi, a 43-year-old office worker. “She has strong leadership skills and charisma.”

As Abe’s protégé, Takaichi has consistently echoed his nationalist positions, including defending Japan’s wartime actions, advocating for expanded military spending and capabilities, promoting patriotic education, and emphasizing traditional family values. After two unsuccessful bids for the LDP leadership in 2021 and 2024, she finally secured the top post last October, replacing centrist rival Shigeru Ishiba.

She has since reappointed several of Abe’s former advisers and is expected to push Japan further to the right on issues such as security, gender policy, and immigration if the LDP performs strongly in Sunday’s election.

Despite her public image as tireless, media reports suggest a more insular governing style. Kyodo News Agency noted that during her first three months in office, Takaichi spent much of her time in her official residence or office, with few social engagements. The Mainichi newspaper reported she held no dinner meetings with political or business leaders in her first month.

Those close to her say her strict discipline is rooted in family upbringing. At her mother’s funeral in 2018, Takaichi recounted being scolded—even after becoming a cabinet minister an anecdote that left a lasting impression on attendees.

Yet colleagues also point to her lighter side. After discovering she attended the same elementary school as a local television executive, Takaichi surprised him by singing the school song together. “While she gives a strong impression of being right wing and hawkish,” he said, “she also has a playful side.”

As voters head to the polls, that mix of firmness, charisma, and contradiction may determine whether Sanae Takaichi emerges not only as Japan’s first woman prime minister, but as one of its most consequential.