Sanae Takaichi Set to Become Japan’s First Female Prime Minister

Japan’s ruling conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has chosen Sanae Takaichi as its new leader, placing the 64-year-old on track to become the country’s first female prime minister.

Takaichi, who is considered one of the party’s most right-leaning figures, faces a difficult road ahead. She must work to reunify a fractured party weakened by scandals, election losses, and bitter internal divisions. Beyond politics, she inherits an economy weighed down by persistent inflation, stagnant wages, and household struggles.

If confirmed, she will also need to manage a delicate US-Japan relationship and oversee the implementation of the tariff agreement previously negotiated with the Trump administration.

Her predecessor, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, resigned last month after just over a year in office, following a string of defeats that cost the LDP and its coalition partners their majority in both houses of parliament.

A long-time admirer of former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi has often been described as Japan’s aspiring “Iron Lady.” Yet, despite her historic rise, many Japanese women remain skeptical, noting her opposition to reforms such as allowing women to retain their maiden names after marriage, as well as her stance against same-sex marriage.

A protégé of the late Shinzo Abe, she has pledged to revive his Abenomics agenda of aggressive government spending and low-interest lending. She is also known for her hawkish security views, advocating for constitutional revision to expand Japan’s military role, and for her frequent visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan’s war dead, including convicted war criminals.

While parliament is expected to confirm her, the process will be more contested than in the past given the LDP’s weakened parliamentary position.