History Made: Hardline Conservative Sanae Takaichi Elected Japan's First Female PM
Published Date: 21 Oct, 2025
TOKYO—Japan’s parliament formally shattered one of the nation’s last political glass ceilings on Tuesday, electing ultraconservative politician Sanae Takaichi as the country’s 104th Prime Minister. Her victory, which makes her the first woman ever to lead Japan, signals a decisive shift to the political right at a time of deep economic anxiety.
Takaichi, 64, secured the top office after winning the required majority vote in both the lower and upper houses of the Diet. The outcome was secured by a last-minute coalition agreement between her struggling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the right-wing Japan Innovation Party (JIP). She is scheduled to be formally sworn in later this evening, succeeding Shigeru Ishiba, who resigned earlier in the day.
The new Prime Minister, a protégé of the late Shinzo Abe, is known for her hawkish defense posture and is often likened to Britain’s former leader Margaret Thatcher. She inherits a government facing immediate pressures, including an urgent need to address rising consumer prices, implement economic stimulus measures, and manage a fragile political alliance.
Conservative Stance and Political Tightrope
While Takaichi’s ascension is a historic moment for gender representation, it is not being celebrated as a win for social progress. She is a staunch conservative who opposes allowing married couples to have separate surnames and supports the imperial family’s male-only succession.
Her policy agenda is expected to focus on:
Fiscal Stimulus: Championing a high-spending "Sanaenomics" approach to combat inflation and boost stagnant wages.
National Security: Pushing for a stronger military and accelerating efforts to revise Japan’s pacifist constitution.
However, her hold on power is delicate. Her new coalition lacks a firm majority in parliament, forcing her to rely on cooperation from opposition parties to pass key legislation, including the upcoming supplementary budget. This precarious footing means Takaichi will have little room to deviate from a pragmatic course as she prepares for her first major diplomatic test: a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump next week.
Date: 21 Oct, 2025
