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Sanae Takaichi wins ruling party vote, paving way to Japan’s first female premiership
R.ELM . Tokyo . Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has elected Sanae Takaichi, a staunch conservative and former economic security minister, as its new leader — all but ensuring that she will become the country’s first female prime minister.
In Saturday’s internal vote, the 64-year-old defeated Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of popular former premier Junichiro Koizumi, in a runoff that ended weeks of speculation over the party’s post-Ishiba direction. The result signals a decisive swing back toward the hard-right faction of the LDP — and a return to the ideological lineage of the late Shinzo Abe, under whom Takaichi once served.
A historic first in a male-dominated system
Japan ranks 125th out of 146 countries in the World Economic Forum’s gender-equality index — and no woman has ever held its top political office.
Takaichi’s election therefore marks a symbolic milestone for a political culture still overwhelmingly dominated by older men.
“Now that the LDP has its first female president, its scenery will change a little,” she told reporters with an understated smile as she took the party chair for the first time.
But the symbolism may obscure a harder reality: Takaichi is one of the most conservative figures in Japanese politics. An admirer of Margaret Thatcher and a regular visitor to the Yasukuni Shrine, long criticised abroad as a monument to Japan’s militarist past, she has cultivated an image of steely nationalism that could both energise and divide.
The Abe legacy and a conservative revival
Takaichi’s victory also represents the triumph of the LDP’s Abe-aligned right wing, which has sought to reassert its dominance after the resignation of centrist Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Party insiders say Ishiba — once seen as a pragmatic technocrat — was effectively forced out by ultra-conservatives eager to consolidate control following a string of electoral setbacks.
Her win over the younger and more liberal Koizumi reflects the party’s calculation that its survival depends on shoring up its conservative base, even at the risk of alienating moderate urban voters. The LDP remains the largest force in the lower house, meaning Takaichi will almost certainly be confirmed prime minister in a parliamentary vote expected in mid-October.
Foreign policy: Continuity with sharper edges
Takaichi inherits a daunting foreign-policy agenda. Within weeks, she may meet US President Donald Trump, who is expected to press Tokyo to increase defence spending during the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea.
Her remarks since the vote have signalled firm continuity with previous LDP administrations — but with an even more assertive tone toward China. “It is essential to reinforce the Japan-US alliance and strengthen cooperation through trilateral and regional frameworks with South Korea, Australia and the Philippines,” she said.
Takaichi has pledged to uphold all trade and investment agreements concluded under the Ishiba government, but analysts say her hawkish instincts could strain ties with Beijing and Seoul. Her frequent pilgrimages to Yasukuni Shrine, where Japan’s war dead — including convicted war criminals — are honoured, have in the past triggered diplomatic protests from both countries.
Domestic headwinds and political fatigue
The new leader faces equally severe challenges at home. The LDP has suffered heavy losses in successive parliamentary elections, and voter trust has been eroded by a political-funds scandal that exposed endemic opacity in campaign financing.
Inflation, a stagnant economy, and widening inequality have compounded public frustration.
Takaichi has vowed to prioritise curbing price rises while investing in economic resilience. She supports bigger fiscal spending for growth, stronger military and cybersecurity capabilities, and tighter controls on foreign labour — all consistent with the LDP’s conservative economic nationalism.
Critics, however, say her record offers little evidence of reformist zeal. As minister, she was accused of spreading unverified claims about foreign residents, and she has often avoided taking clear stances on socially divisive issues such as same-sex marriage, constitutional reform, or Japan’s wartime history.
Gender milestone, ideological continuity
Despite her trailblazing gender status, analysts caution against reading Takaichi’s ascent as a breakthrough for Japanese feminism. Political scientist Aiko Maeda of Waseda University notes: “Takaichi’s conservatism means she will not necessarily advance women’s rights — but her visibility may still shift perceptions of leadership in Japan.”
Public reactions have been mixed. “I’m hopeful she’ll bring a new sense of balance,” said Tokyo resident Masami Nakagawa, “but her nationalist views worry me.”
For the LDP, the challenge now is whether Takaichi’s leadership can reconcile the party’s right-wing instincts with a weary electorate yearning for economic stability and political integrity.
If she can manage that, Japan’s first female prime minister may also prove one of its most consequential.
