Japan’s parliament on Tuesday elected ultra-conservative Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female prime minister. Takaichi, 64, head of the Liberal Democratic Party, will replace Shigeru Ishiba as prime minister, who was forced to resign after two election defeats.His appointment comes just a day after his struggling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) struck a coalition deal with a new right-wing ally, the Associated Press reports. The move is expected to shift the government further to the right.
Takaichi, 64, replaced Shigeru Ishiba, ending three months of political impasse following the LDP’s crushing defeat in July elections. Ishiba, who served only a year, resigned along with his cabinet the same day, clearing the way for him to come to power.
The LDP’s unexpected alliance with the Osaka-based Japan Innovation Party (JIP), also known as Ishin no Kai, ensured Takaichi’s election as prime minister. The opposition faction is scattered, giving their alliance a chance to regain power. However, his ruling coalition still does not have a majority in both houses of parliament, meaning Takaichi will have to rally additional opposition groups to his side to pass key legislation, a challenge that could destabilize his government early on.
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“Political stability is important right now,” Takaichi declared Monday during a coalition signing ceremony with JIP leader and Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura. Without stability, we cannot move towards a stronger economy or diplomacy.
The coalition agreement emphasized shared nationalist and security-focused priorities, cementing Takaichi’s reputation as an aggressive and ultra-conservative leader. This sudden partnership came after the LDP ended its long-standing alliance with the Buddhist-backed Komeito party, which had supported a more centrist and pacifist approach to governance. The split threatens to oust the LDP, which has dominated Japanese politics almost continuously for decades.
Later, Takaichi is expected to unveil a Cabinet that will include several loyalists to influential party leader Taro Aso and other senior lawmakers who supported him during the LDP leadership race. According to the AP report, Yoshimura confirmed that the JIP will not take up ministerial posts in his administration until the party is confident about its partnership with the LDP.
Takaichi takes charge amid economic pressures and diplomatic obstacles
Takaichi takes office with a busy agenda and pressing deadlines, including a major policy speech this weekend, an upcoming regional summit and talks with US President Donald Trump. He is also under intense pressure to introduce an economic relief package by December to ease Japan’s rising cost of living and quell growing public anger.
Despite making history by leading Japan’s first female government, Takaichi has shown little interest in promoting gender equality or diversity reforms. He has consistently opposed gay marriage, the use of separate surnames for married couples and any changes to the royal family’s tradition of male-only succession.
A close political follower of late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi is widely expected to advance his agenda, strengthening Japan’s defense capabilities, reviving economic growth and pushing for constitutional amendments to expand the role of the military. Yet, with limited parliamentary power and declining public trust, their ability to pursue such policies remains uncertain.
Controversy over wartime views and cabinet integrity
Komeito’s split from the LDP was partly due to dissatisfaction with the party’s failure to deal with black money scandals, which contributed to its electoral defeat. It also expressed concern over Takaichi’s revisionist view of Japan’s wartime history and his frequent visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, a site that Beijing and Seoul have criticized as a symbol of Japan’s unrepentant past.
Although Takaichi has tried to tone down his rhetoric in recent days, the controversy has overshadowed his political rise. On Friday, he chose to send a religious ornament there instead of visiting the Yasukuni shrine in person, a symbolic move that is being seen as an effort to ease tensions with Japan’s neighbors while remaining loyal to its nationalist base.