TOKYO: Sanae Takaichi has become Japan’s first female prime minister following the recent parliamentary elections, marking a historic moment in the country’s political landscape. She secured a majority in both houses of parliament to assume the nation’s top office.
In the lower house, Takaichi won 237 votes against 149, while in the upper house, she secured 125 votes against 46 in a second round of voting, after narrowly missing a majority by a single vote in the first round.
The 64-year-old conservative leader, often referred to as Japan’s “Iron Lady,” was elected prime minister on her third attempt. Her party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has changed four prime ministers in the past five years.
Takaichi belongs to the hardline faction of the LDP and is considered a close ally of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Within the party, she is seen as a strong and influential figure.
As the new prime minister, she faces several major challenges, including reviving a sluggish economy, balancing U.S.-Japan relations, and uniting a ruling party shaken by scandals and internal divisions.
