JAPAN made history on Tuesday as Sanae Takaichi was elected the country’s first female prime minister, ushering in a new political era marked by conservative resurgence and economic uncertainty.
Reuters reported that the 64-year-old hardline conservative secured 237 votes in the lower house of Parliament, surpassing the required majority of the 465-seat chamber to replace outgoing premier Shigeru Ishiba.
A protégé of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a self-proclaimed admirer of Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi’s rise also marks a dramatic shift to the right in Japanese politics.
Her appointment follows a last-minute coalition deal with the right-leaning Japan Innovation Party (Ishin) after traditional ally Komeito withdrew its support over a funding scandal and concerns about Takaichi’s staunch conservative views.
“We will strengthen Japan’s economy and rebuild the nation to be more accountable to future generations,” said Takaichi, who also pledged to form a Cabinet with greater female representation.
She plans to appoint Satsuki Katayama as Finance Minister and Kimi Onoda as Minister for Economic Security, marking a departure from the previous government, which had just two women in the Cabinet.
A former heavy metal drummer and long-time member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Takaichi becomes the fifth Japanese prime minister in as many years.
While her party remains the dominant political force, she will govern with a minority administration and face significant legislative challenges in a divided Parliament.
“The two parties do not command a majority in either chamber and to ensure a stable government and gain control of key parliamentary committees, they will need to secure more than half the seats,” said Tadashi Mori, professor of politics at Aichi Gakuin University.
Takaichi’s economic agenda is widely seen as a continuation of Abenomics, favouring government spending and monetary easing. Her leadership has already fuelled optimism in financial markets, with Japan’s Nikkei share average climbing to record highs in what analysts are calling the “Takaichi trade”.
However, AFP cited economic experts warn of fiscal risks. “In today’s inflationary environment, further stimulus risks only weakening the yen. Likewise, cutting the consumption tax may spur demand, but it won’t curb rising prices,” Mori cautioned.
The new coalition with the Japan Innovation Party includes policy proposals such as scrapping the consumption tax on food, reducing the number of parliamentary seats, and banning corporate political donations.
Takaichi’s administration also inherits a long list of foreign policy and domestic challenges, including trade negotiations with the United States, pressure to increase defence spending, an ageing population, and sluggish economic growth.
Despite her historic rise, Takaichi maintains controversial positions on several social issues. She has publicly opposed changes to Japan’s 19th-century family law requiring married couples to share the same surname and rejects the idea of female succession to the imperial throne.
Yet, she has been vocal about raising awareness of women’s health, including speaking candidly about her own experience with menopause.
Japan currently ranks 118th out of 148 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025. Only 15 per cent of lawmakers in the lower house are women, and corporate boards remain largely male-dominated.
Takaichi was formally approved by the upper house and is scheduled to be sworn in on Tuesday evening, following an audience with the Emperor. Her path forward remains complex, but her election signals a turning point in Japanese politics — both symbolically and ideologically. - October 21, 2025
