Japan's CEOs see less direct access to Takaichi than previous PMs

PoliticsMeetings with Anthropic, Microsoft executives show focus on AI and chipsJapanese Prime Minister Takaichi, right, shakes hands with Yoshinobu Tsutsui, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, at a dinner at the end of last year. (Photo by Arisa Moriyama)TAISHU YUASAAugust 11, 2026 05:36 JSTTOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets with the leaders of individual companies less often than her two immediate predecessors, preferring instead to speak with representatives from industry groups to gather broader input.