The Iron Lady Effect? Sanae Takaichi and Personalistic Voting in the 2026 Japanese House of Representatives Election

In the 2026 Japanese House of Representatives election, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), led by Japan's first female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, won a landslide victory. To what extent did her personal traits contribute to this victory? Using leadership trait preferences measured through a post-election conjoint survey, we find (1) female voters showed stronger support for Takaichi than men, and this was driven by their shared gender identity instead of preferences for stereotypicial female leadership traits; and (2) Takaichi's masculine leadership style was instrumental in generating personalistic support among LDP non-supporters and encouraging voting for the LDP. These personalistic trait effects were independent of party-level factors and policy preferences, suggesting an alternate way in which gender shapes electoral outcomes. Our findings advance research on how gendered personalistic leadership shapes vote choice in a parliamentary democracy that has broken the "glass ceiling" but remains slow in closing broader gender gaps.