Sanae Takaichi won the election as leader of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party on Saturday and will become the nation's first female prime minister on Oct. 15. The 64-year-old lawmaker from Nara prefecture defeated Shinjiro Shinjiro by receiving 185 votes in a runoff after no candidate secured a majority in the initial round. Takaichi entered parliament in 1993 as an independent before joining the LDP in 1996 and serving in multiple cabinet positions under former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
She will complete the remainder of Shigeru Ishiba's term through September 2027. Takaichi holds the record as the longest-serving Minister for Internal Affairs and became the first woman to chair the party's Policy Research Council. The conservative lawmaker faces challenges from economic stagnation, inflation, and currency depreciation. Former Justice Minister Midori Matsushima said the historic selection could inspire young women and those without political backgrounds.
She will complete the remainder of Shigeru Ishiba's term through September 2027. Takaichi holds the record as the longest-serving Minister for Internal Affairs and became the first woman to chair the party's Policy Research Council. The conservative lawmaker faces challenges from economic stagnation, inflation, and currency depreciation. Former Justice Minister Midori Matsushima said the historic selection could inspire young women and those without political backgrounds.
