Giorgia Meloni and Japan’s new prime minister Sanae Takaichi met in Tokyo, combining personal warmth — a birthday cake, an anime-style selfie and Hello Kitty gifts — with strategic commitments. The leaders pledged support for the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), aiming for a next-generation fighter by 2035. Both broke political glass ceilings as the only female G7 heads and emphasized shared values including female empowerment and Japan’s ganbaru spirit. Analysts view the visit as a sign of growing political and strategic convergence between Rome and Tokyo.
Meloni and Japan’s New PM Forge Warm Bond — From Birthday Cake to Joint Fighter-Jet Plans
The Italian and Japanese leaders pose for a selfie in Tokyo
Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni and Japan’s newly elected leader Sanae Takaichi met in Tokyo in a meeting that blended personal warmth with concrete strategic commitments. The encounter — sealed by a birthday cake, a shared rendition of “Happy Birthday,” an anime-style selfie posted on X, and a basket of Hello Kitty gifts — showcased an unexpectedly warm rapport between the two conservative leaders.
Personal chemistry and symbolism
Giorgia Meloni shared an anime-style version of a photograph she took with Sanae Takaichi
The leaders toasted each other’s successes and spoke openly about female empowerment. Ms Meloni, marking her 49th birthday, praised the Japanese concept of ganbaru — the idea of striving to do more than one’s best — and used it to underscore the determination she and Ms Takaichi share as women who have broken political glass ceilings.
Strategic cooperation
Sanae Takaichi marked Giorgia Meloni’s birthday with Hello Kitty gifts
Beyond the personal gestures, the meeting focused on strategic cooperation. Italy and Japan reaffirmed support for the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a trilateral effort with the United Kingdom to develop a next-generation fighter jet slated for entry into service around 2035. Both leaders — who cite Margaret Thatcher among their political influences — pledged to push the project forward.
Backgrounds and personalities
The two leaders share an admiration of Margaret Thatcher
Neither woman comes from a political dynasty. Ms Meloni was raised by her mother in Garbatella, a working-class district of Rome; her father left when she was young. Ms Takaichi’s parents worked in industry and the police. The meeting also revealed lighter sides: Ms Meloni is an avid reader of J.R.R. Tolkien’s sagas, while Ms Takaichi is a drummer and former member of a heavy-metal band.
Shared challenges
Both leaders face similar domestic hurdles — ageing populations, low birth rates and sluggish economic growth — while navigating an unpredictable international environment and maintaining traditional alliances, particularly with the United States. Analysts described the visit as part of a wider political and strategic convergence between Rome and Tokyo.
Alessio Platano, professor of East Asian strategy at King’s College London, noted that both leaders have shown an ability to work with US President Donald Trump and possess “an important voice on key issues of regional security and political transformation in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.”
While the meeting's informal moments grabbed headlines, observers say the combination of personal affinity and shared strategic priorities could deepen bilateral ties and influence security cooperation in the coming years.
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