Takaichi Sanae Poised to Be the Nation's First Female Premier
Japan's governing right-leaning political faction has chosen Sanae Takaichi as its fresh head, paving the way for the sixty-four-year-old to assume the role of the country's first woman prime minister.
Takaichi is among the staunchly right-wing candidates aligning with the right flank of the party. She faces many challenges such as bringing together a beleaguered ruling party after a turbulent period which saw it impacted by controversies and internal conflicts.
She must also tackle a slow-growing economy and Japanese households struggling with relentless inflation and unchanging pay.
If confirmed, she will need to steer through a unstable bilateral ties with the US and see through the tariff deal with the Trump administration agreed by the previous government.
Change in Leadership
Recently, Premier Shigeru Ishiba, whose tenure spanned just over a year, announced he would leave office after a string of election defeats that saw the LDP's ruling alliance lose its majority in both chambers of the legislature.
Takaichi has been a longstanding fan of the UK's first woman premier, Margaret Thatcher. She is now ever closer to fulfilling her Iron Lady aspiration.
Political Stances
But many women voters do not view her as an champion of advancement.
Takaichi is a firm right-winger who's consistently resisted laws allowing women to keep their maiden names post-wedding, arguing it is against tradition. She is opposed to marriage equality.
A protégé of the deceased ex-premier Shinzo Abe, Takaichi has committed to revive his economic vision, called Abenomics – which includes high fiscal spending and low-cost loans.
The seasoned LDP member is hardline on defense and seeks to alter Japan's peace-oriented charter.
She's also a regular visitor of the controversial Yasukuni shrine where the nation's wartime casualties among them some found guilty of war crimes are remembered.
Parliamentary Confirmation
She will likely be confirmed by parliament, although not automatically as with earlier leaders because the governing faction is in a far less dominant stance now after losing its control in both houses.
