Sanae Takaichi Set to Become the Nation's First Woman Head of Government
The nation's ruling conservative party has chosen Sanae Takaichi as its fresh head, paving the way for the sixty-four-year-old to become Japan's first female prime minister.
Takaichi ranks among the staunchly right-wing candidates leaning to the party's right. She confronts a host of difficulties such as bringing together a struggling governing faction after a turbulent few years marked by it rocked by scandals and factional disputes.
She must also contend with a sluggish economy and families in Japan grappling with relentless inflation and static incomes.
If confirmed, she will need to navigate a unstable US-Japan relationship and implement the tariff deal with the former US government agreed by the prior administration.
Leadership Transition
Last month, Premier Shigeru Ishiba, whose term lasted just over a year, declared he would step down after a series of electoral losses that saw the LDP's ruling alliance lose its majority in both chambers of the legislature.
Takaichi has been a long-time admirer of Britain's first female premier, Margaret Thatcher. She is now ever closer to achieving her Thatcherite ambition.
Policy Positions
But numerous female electors do not view her as an advocate for progress.
Takaichi is a staunch conservative who's consistently resisted laws allowing women to keep their maiden names post-wedding, arguing it is against tradition. She is does not support marriage equality.
A disciple of the late former leader Shinzo Abe, Takaichi has pledged to bring back his financial strategy, known as Abenomics – which entails high fiscal spending and cheap borrowing.
The seasoned LDP member is hawkish on security and aims to alter Japan's pacifist constitution.
She's frequently visits of the contentious Yasukuni shrine where Japan's war dead among them some found guilty of war crimes are remembered.
Legislative Approval
She will likely be confirmed by parliament, though not as a formality like her predecessors because the ruling party is in a far less dominant stance now having lost its majority in each chamber.
