Born in Nara Prefecture in 1961, Takaishi's father was an office worker and her mother a police officer. Politics was far removed from her upbringing.
Once an avid heavy metal drummer, she was famous for carrying many sticks because she would break them during intense drumming. She was also a scuba diver and a car enthusiast - her beloved Toyota Supra is now displayed in a Nara museum.
Before entering politics, Takaichi worked briefly as a television host.
Her political inspiration came in the 1980s, during the height of US-Japan trade friction. Determined to understand American perceptions of Japan, she worked in the office of Democrat Patricia Schroeder, a congresswoman known for her criticism of Japan.
Takaichi saw Americans mixing up Japanese, Chinese and Korean language and cuisine, observing how Japan was often grouped together with China and South Korea.
"Unless Japan can defend itself, its fate will always be at the mercy of shallow US opinion," she concluded.
[SRC] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crkj5e73xkmo
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