Japan’s parliament elected Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female prime minister on Tuesday, with 237 votes in the Lower House and a runoff win in the Upper House after a new coalition with the Japan Innovation Party. Her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) partnered with the Osaka-based Japan Innovation Party (JIP), ensuring her selection despite a fragmented opposition.
Takaichi cleared the Lower House majority in the first round, then prevailed in an Upper House runoff after falling just short in the initial ballot, The Japan Times reported. The LDP-JIP agreement, reached a day earlier, gave her the numbers to fend off a united opposition bid and end a three-month vacuum following Shigeru Ishiba’s resignation, CBS/AP reported.
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A shift from Ishiba
Takaichi’s selection marks a deliberate shift away from the moderate positions of her predecessor. While Ishiba fostered what Carnegie Endowment described as an “amicable and constructive” relationship with South Korea, Takaichi’s history of right-wing stances on historical issues, such as visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine and downplaying Japan’s role as an aggressor, raises concerns about potential diplomatic friction.
Initial appointments and party management
Takaichi moved quickly to form a Cabinet aimed at party unity while keeping allies close, according to the Japan Times. Former Defense Minister Minoru Kihara was named chief cabinet secretary; Satsuki Katayama became finance minister, the first woman to hold that post; and Kimi Onoda was appointed minister for economic security and immigration.
She also handed key portfolios to recent intra-party rivals, including Shinjiro Koizumi for defense, Yoshimasa Hayashi at internal affairs and Toshimitsu Motegi at foreign affairs.
What direction will policy take?
The Wall Street Journal describes Takaichi as an ultraconservative who has backed stronger defense capabilities, closer U.S. ties and a rightward policy shift in tandem with JIP.
After securing her victory, Takaichi said, “I am determined to deliver results for the nation, to build a strong Japan and to never give up.”
According to the BBC, Takaichi is a staunch conservative who models herself after Britain’s Margaret Thatcher. Some view her leadership as a strategic effort by the LDP to win back conservative voters who have been drawn to further right-leaning parties.
The BBC highlights some of Takaichi’s viewpoints. She reportedly opposes same-sex marriage and opposes allowing married couples to maintain separate surnames. The BBC notes that she does not support women ascending to Japan’s imperial throne.
While she had suggested tax incentives for childcare during her campaign, she backs more traditional roles for women in Japan. The country ranked 118th out of 148 nations in the World Economic Forum’s 2025 gender gap index.
She supports tighter controls on foreign investment and immigration and has voiced conservative positions on social issues. The Journal noted she favors a stronger military while Japan targets defense spending increases, as Washington has pressed allies to spend more.
Why it matters now
Takaichi takes office without a clear majority in either chamber, even with JIP, meaning she must court other parties to pass legislation, according to the Journal. Rising prices are the government’s top priority, LDP Secretary General Shunichi Suzuki told NHK, as cited by CBS/AP.
Diplomatic calendar and what’s next
Bloomberg reported her first diplomatic test could come within days if President Donald Trump visits Tokyo during a series of visits to Asia later this month. She is expected to compile economy-boosting measures by late December, according to CBS/AP.
JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura announced his party will forgo ministerial roles in Takaichi’s Cabinet for the time being, waiting until they are confident in the coalition partnership.
“I would like to work together to make Japan a country that children think of as a truly great place when they grow up,” he told NHK news.
