Sanae Takaichi Elected Japan's First Female Prime Minister
content-team 
TOKYO—In a historic shift for Japan’s rigidly patriarchal political landscape, the country’s parliament formally elected ultraconservative politician Sanae Takaichi as the nation’s first female prime minister on Tuesday.
The vote in both the powerful lower house and the less powerful upper house of the Diet confirmed Takaichi, 64, as the successor to the outgoing Shigeru Ishiba, ending a prolonged period of political uncertainty that followed the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) heavy election losses in July. Takaichi, who won the LDP's internal leadership race earlier this month, secured her premiership after her party struck a last-minute coalition deal with the right-wing Japan Innovation Party (JIP).
Takaichi, an admirer of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, takes office at a crucial time, inheriting a minority government facing public frustration over a cost-of-living crisis and rising inflation.
“Political stability is essential right now,” Takaichi said following the coalition agreement. “Without stability, we cannot push measures for a strong economy or diplomacy.”
A Hawkish, Conservative Agenda
Takaichi’s election is historic but signals a sharp tack to the political right for the nation. A political protégé of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, she is expected to prioritize a stronger military, economic security, and the long-cherished conservative goal of revising Japan’s pacifist constitution.
Her hardline stance is already a source of domestic and diplomatic friction. Takaichi is known for opposing measures aimed at promoting gender equality, such as allowing married couples to use separate surnames and allowing a female to ascend to the Chrysanthemum Throne.
Her nationalistic views have also generated concern among regional neighbors, particularly China and South Korea, due to her past visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine.
Immediate Challenges Ahead
The new Prime Minister has little time to settle in. She is expected to immediately announce her new Cabinet, reportedly including the first female Finance Minister, Satsuki Katayama. She must quickly prepare for her first major policy speech later this week and key diplomatic meetings, including a scheduled visit by U.S. President Donald Trump.
However, the nature of her untested coalition—which remains short of an absolute majority in both houses—means Takaichi will need to constantly court smaller opposition groups to pass critical legislation, including a new supplementary budget, suggesting her hold on power may be precarious. Takaichi's biggest immediate challenge will be consolidating support to deliver on her promise of a "strong economy" while navigating a fractured parliament.
