Japan is set to have its first female prime minister after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) elected Sanae Takaichi, a former economic security minister and conservative lawmaker, as its new leader on Saturday.
Takaichi defeated Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in a runoff vote at party headquarters in Tokyo, winning 185 votes to Koizumi's 156, according to party officials. Her victory positions her to replace outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba once parliament votes later this month, a move expected to confirm her as Japan's next leader.
The LDP remains Japan's largest political force despite major election losses over the past year. The fragmented opposition gives the party enough strength to control the selection of the prime minister through a coalition vote.
Born in Nara in 1961, Takaichi studied business management at Kobe University and briefly worked in the U.S. Congress before entering politics. Elected to Japan's lower house in 1993 as an independent, she joined the LDP three years later and has since served in key ministerial posts, including internal affairs, communications, and gender equality.
Her political image combines nationalist views and populist appeal. As a student, she rode motorbikes and played drums in a heavy metal band. Later, she became known for her admiration of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her calls for Japan to strengthen its military posture. She has argued for a tougher stance against China and North Korea and opposes same-sex marriage.
Takaichi has also supported the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "Abenomics" policy of fiscal stimulus and low interest rates, while criticizing the Bank of Japan's recent rate hikes. Reuters reported that her leadership could unsettle bond investors wary of Japan's large public debt.
In her campaign speech before the runoff, Takaichi told party members, "I have heard harsh voices from across the country saying we don't know what the LDP stands for anymore. That sense of urgency drove me. I wanted to turn people's anxieties about their daily lives and the future into hope."
Takaichi's rise follows the resignation of Shigeru Ishiba, whose leadership had angered the party's right wing. Her win reflects the LDP's turn toward a more hardline conservative agenda after losing ground in both houses of parliament.
