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Ultraconservative nationalist Sanae Takaichi elected JapanShe became the first woman prime minister after a historic parliamentary vote on Tuesday.
He is likely to take oath as the country’s 104th Prime Minister later in the evening Shigeru IshibaWho resigned last month after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party suffered a huge election defeat.
Ms Takaichi, 64, won the ruling party leadership contest after Mr Ishiba resigned, but won the country’s top job only after the LDP, which remains the largest party in parliament, formed a coalition with the smaller right-wing Japan Innovation Party, known as Ishin.
She is calling herself the successor of the former Prime Minister shinzo abeMs Takaichi said she would choose Satsuki Katayama, whose ally she was, as the first female finance minister at a time of rising prices and slow growth.
After winning the party’s leadership contest, he vowed to “work, work, work” to “transform people’s worries about daily life and the future into hope.”
“I have given up my work-life balance and I will work, work, work,” she said.
“Recently, I have heard harsh voices from across the country saying that we don’t know what the LDP stands for anymore,” he said in a speech before the second round of voting. “A sense of urgency inspired me. I wanted to turn people’s worries about daily life and the future into hope.”
Ms Takachi faces the huge challenge of winning back the trust of a public angered by rising prices and corruption scandals and attracting opposition groups who have promised bigger incentives and a crackdown on foreigners. Along with taking the country forward which is struggling with demographic decline, he will also have to shoulder the responsibility of handling a fragmented party surrounded by scams.
Although her leadership campaign did not focus heavily on her gender, Ms Takachi said in her victory speech that she had “made history for the LDP”.
“Right now, instead of savoring the joy, I am overwhelmed by the challenges that lie ahead, a mountain of challenges that I have to tackle with the help of all of you,” he said at the time.
“We must make our party more energetic and happy so that we can turn people’s concerns into hope,” he said, seeking cooperation from LDP lawmakers. “Otherwise, we cannot rebuild our party.”
Ms Takaichi, a former economic security and interior minister, cites Margaret Thatcher As a source of inspiration. She refers to the former British Prime Minister as a political hero, citing his strong character and conviction as well as his “female warmth”.
He said he met the “Iron Lady” at a seminar shortly before Thatcher’s death in 2013.
“My goal is to be the Iron Lady,” she told a group of children during the campaign.
A drummer and heavy metal fan, Ms. Takachi is no stranger to making some noise herself. She is a regular visitor to Yasukuni Shrine, a place of honor from japan The war’s casualties include some executed war criminals, and it is seen by some Asian neighbors as a symbol of its past militarism.
He called for the neighboring country to adopt a tough stance towards China following the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat and the end of World War I. With its grandest military parade ever last summer.
She had earlier promised to form a cabinet with gender parity, marking a change from the outgoing prime minister’s ministry, which included just two women. But surveys show that their conservative views align more strongly with men than women.
Ms Takaichi is opposed to gay marriage and revising a 19th-century policy that could allow married couples to use different surnames. She also supports male-only royal succession.
Yuki Tsuji, a professor specializing in politics and gender at Tokai University, said Ms Takachi “has no interest in women’s rights or gender equality policies”.
“Therefore, there are unlikely to be any changes in this policy area compared to the previous LDP administration,” he told AFP news agency.
However, Professor Tsuji said the symbolic importance of a woman being prime minister was “quite significant”. However, if she failed to achieve results, “it could increase negative perceptions about female prime ministers”.
Japan ranks 118th out of 148 countries in the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Gender Gap Report, with only 15 percent women in the lower house of parliament.
However, it is Ms Takachi’s economic agenda that could send the biggest shockwaves through Japan’s political and financial establishment.
Ms. Takachi, a disciple of the late Abe and a supporter of his “Abenomics” stimulus program, has criticized the Bank of Japan’s decision to raise interest rates and urged increased public spending and tax cuts to balance rising costs of living.
Central bank Governor Kazuo Ueda earlier said he would set rates “without any preconceived notions.”
Born in Nara, western Japan, to a police officer mother and a father who worked in the country’s vital automotive sector, Ms Takachi has often drawn on her roots to shape her political image.
In a speech last month, he condemned tourists for mistreating sacred deer in Nara Park, and promised tough action against unruly foreigners.
It is a stance that is increasingly gaining traction among voters amid record numbers of tourists visiting Japan, although when pressed, Ms. Takachi struggled to provide evidence of the incidents of animal abuse she described.
According to her website, Ms. Takachi, a graduate of Kobe University with a degree in business management, served as a congresswoman in the US Congress.
Apparently eager to understand how Japan was viewed abroad, she worked in the office of Democrat Patricia Schroeder, known for her sharp criticism of Tokyo.
Before entering politics, Ms Takaichi reportedly worked as a television host. She joined politics in 1993 and won an independent seat in the lower house, before joining the LDP three years later.
He has since won 10 parliamentary elections and built a reputation as one of the party’s most outspoken conservative figures.
Ms. Takaichi said she would travel abroad more regularly than her predecessor to promote that “Japan is back!”
“Takaichi is a very experienced politician. He also has some experience working in the U.S. and is a long-term observer of U.S.-Japan relations, so that’s his strength,” said Yuka Hayashi, vice president of Asia Group, a Washington-based strategic advisory firm.
“She said she believes she can build a very strong personal relationship with President Trump. And the reason for that is because his policy is focused on what she calls a ‘Japan First’ policy. And that matches President Trump’s America First policy. She sees that kind of common thread there. On the other hand, she is a hardliner, very conservative when it comes to Japan’s relations with its Asian neighbors, ” Mr. Hayashi said.
“She has had a very tough stance on World War II legacy issues. She has insisted on visiting the Yasukuni Shrine several times, knowing that it would damage Japan’s relations with its neighbors. So there is some concern that she could strain relations with South Korea and China. This is a very challenging time for the LDP, so I think she will probably try to focus on party unity and unity abroad.” Will be very cautious about taking an overly conservative fundamentalist stance. Policy.”