Sanae Takaichi (64) was elected on Tuesday as Japan’s first female prime minister, following a vote in parliament. Takaichi received 237 votes in the House of Commons, just enough for a majority. On Monday it was announced that her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will collaborate with the right-wing party Nippon Ishin no Kai.
In early October, Takaichi was elected as leader of the LDP after her predecessor Shigeru Ishiba resigned due to disappointing election results.
On and off, the LDP has ruled Japan for almost sixty years. The leader of that party was usually also appointed as the new prime minister, the vote in the Japanese parliament was only a formality. But after the small center-right party Komeito left the coalition on October 10 after 26 years of governing together, Takaichi could not count on sufficient parliamentary support in advance and had to look for new allies.
Before entering politics, Takaichi was a television presenter. She then worked as Minister of the Interior and later of Economic Security. In those roles, she focused on mitigating migration and protecting strategic technology.
Takaichi is not expected to make any major political changes. She is the political heiress of conservative populist, and longest-serving Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe (1954–2022). With her arrival, his nationalist agenda returns to the top.
Takaichi will be officially appointed later on Tuesday after a meeting with the emperor of Japan.
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Japan has its first female prime minister in Sanae Takaichi
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