Japan’s first female prime minister has something rather more interesting in her automotive history than the usual government limo: a Toyota Supra Mk3 A70 that she owned and drove for more than two decades.
Sanae Takaichi made history on October 21, 2025, when she became Japan’s first female prime minister. But long before reaching the top of Japanese politics, Takaichi was already behind the wheel of a rather special piece of JDM machinery.
Back in 1991, at the age of 30, Takaichi had saved enough money to buy her first brand-new car. Her choice? A 1991 Toyota Supra 2.5GT Twin-Turbo Limited, based on the A70-generation Supra.
And this wasn’t some garage queen bought purely for weekend posing.
Takaichi actually drove the Supra to work after being elected to Japan’s parliament in 1993, using it as her everyday car for more than 20 years.
The choice of Toyota also had a family connection. Her father worked for a company affiliated with Toyota, while Takaichi herself had previously owned a used Celica XX, the Japanese-market version of what was known as the Celica Supra in other markets.
So when it was time for a new car, moving up to a Supra made rather a lot of sense.
The car itself was a proper piece of early-’90s Japanese performance hardware. The E-JZA70 Supra was powered by Toyota’s 2.5-litre straight-six 1JZ-GTE twin-turbo, producing 280 PS and 362.8 Nm, with rear-wheel drive.
For a rising politician travelling around Nara, campaigning and making the long journey to Tokyo, it was arguably a rather excellent choice.
And remarkably, Takaichi kept it.
As her political career progressed and she eventually took on senior government positions, the Supra remained with her. It was only around the early 2000s that she stopped using it regularly, after her government responsibilities meant she was transported by official vehicles and drivers.
But she didn’t sell it.
Instead, the Supra was stored at a local workshop in Nara, where it remained for years.
Then came the restoration.
In 2024, Toyota Nara decided that the old Supra deserved some attention. Around 10 volunteer automotive technicians, together with specialists in bodywork and paint, worked on bringing the car back to its former glory.
The restoration was more than simply making an old Supra look pretty again. It also became an opportunity to pass traditional automotive skills on to younger technicians.
The finished car is a pearl-white Supra A70, restored to a condition befitting its unusual history.
It has since been displayed at a Toyota facility in Nara and was also featured at the Toyota Automobile Museum, where its connection to Takaichi’s remarkable political and automotive journey could be seen by visitors.
Think about that for a moment.
Japan’s first female prime minister could have ended up with almost any suitably grand government car. Instead, her automotive history includes a 1991 Supra that she bought with her own savings, drove to work for more than two decades and refused to part with even after it was no longer her daily driver.
It’s not a modern supercar. It’s not some ultra-expensive collector’s special.
It’s an A70 Supra with a 1JZ twin-turbo.
And frankly, we’re struggling to think of a more interesting car for a Japanese politician to have sitting in the family garage.
There is something wonderfully personal about this story. The Supra isn’t simply a famous politician’s old car; it was there before Takaichi reached the highest level of Japanese politics and stayed with her through much of that journey. The fact that she kept it for more than 20 years and later allowed it to be restored makes the A70 far more than just another classic JDM machine. It is, quite literally, a piece of her personal history.
What do you think? Would you have kept a Toyota Supra for more than two decades if you were in her shoes? Let us know in the comments.
Adhe is part of the 88 Eight Box Editorial Team, covering JDM culture, motorsport, automotive technology, and industry news. The team focuses on delivering original automotive stories, reviews, and insights for enthusiasts worldwide.
