Japan: Sanae Takaichi Becomes the Country’s First Female Prime Minister
On Tuesday, Member of Parliament Sanae Takaichi was elected Prime Minister of Japan by the House of Representatives, making her the first woman to hold this position in the country’s history.
At 64, Takaichi leads the Liberal Democratic Party, the ruling conservative party in Japan since 1955. She secured 237 votes out of 465, exceeding the required majority from the first round, and is expected to be formally inaugurated later today after meeting with Emperor Naruhito.
Her election comes following the formation of a new coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party (Ishin), after intense negotiations that ended weeks of political uncertainty following the breakdown of the historical alliance between the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito.
Takaichi took over the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party on October 4, succeeding Shigeru Ishiba, who resigned in early September after the ruling coalition’s defeat in the House of Councillors elections last July. The coalition had also lost its majority in the House of Representatives in October 2024 under Ishiba’s leadership.
Sanae Takaichi’s rise to the position of Prime Minister is seen as a significant milestone in the representation of women in Japanese political life, which has long been dominated by male leadership within the ruling party.
