Historic Milestone: Sanae Takaichi Poised to Become Japan’s First Female Prime Minister

TOKYO – Japan is on the brink of making history with the anticipated election of Sanae Takaichi as the nation’s first female prime minister. Scheduled for Tuesday, this significant political shift follows a recent coalition agreement that could steer the government further to the right.

Takaichi is set to succeed Shigeru Ishiba, marking the end of a three-month period of political uncertainty and internal disputes within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) after its substantial defeat in July’s elections.

After just a year in power, Ishiba stepped down with his Cabinet earlier on Tuesday, clearing the path for Takaichi to take the helm.

The LDP’s unexpected coalition with the Osaka-based Japan Innovation Party (JIP), a right-leaning group, secures Takaichi’s position in the upcoming parliamentary vote. The divided opposition offers little resistance, yet this newly formed alliance lacks a majority in both legislative houses. As a result, Takaichi will need to engage other opposition factions to enact policies, posing a potential threat to the stability and longevity of her administration.

“Political stability is crucial at this moment,” said Takaichi during Monday’s coalition signing with JIP leader and Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura. “Without it, we cannot advance our economic or diplomatic agendas effectively.”

The two parties signed a coalition agreement on policies underscoring Takaichi’s hawkish and nationalistic views.

Their last-minute deal Monday comes 10 days after the Liberal Democrats lost its longtime partner, the Buddhist-backed Komeito, which has a more dovish and centrist stance. The breakup threatened a change of power for the LDP, which has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for decades.

Once she is elected prime minister, Takaichi, 64, will present a Cabinet with a number of allies of LDP’s most powerful kingmaker, Taro Aso, and others who backed her in the party leadership vote.

JIP will not hold ministerial posts in Takaichi’s Cabinet until his party is confident about its partnership with the LDP, Yoshimura said.

Takaichi is running on deadline — a major policy speech later this week, talks with U.S. President Donald Trump and regional summits. She needs to quickly tackle rising prices and compile economy-boosting measures by late December to address public frustration.

While she would be the first woman serving as Japan’s prime minister, she is in no rush to promote gender equality or diversity.

Takaichi is among Japanese politicians who have stonewalled measures for women’s advancement. Takaichi supports the imperial family’s male-only succession and opposes same-sex marriage and allowing separate surnames for married couples.

A protege of assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi is expected to emulate his policies including stronger military and economy, as well as revising Japan’s pacifist constitution. With a potentially weak grip on power, it’s unknown how much Takaichi would be able to achieve.

When Komeito left the governing coalition, it cited the LDP’s lax response to slush fund scandals that led to their consecutive election defeats.

The centrist party also raised concern about Takaichi’s revisionist view of Japan’s wartime past and her regular prayers at Yasukuni Shrine despite protests from Beijing and Seoul that see the visits as lack of remorse about Japanese aggression, as well as her recent xenophobic remarks.

Takaichi has toned down her hawkish rhetorics. On Friday, Takaichi sent a religious ornament instead of going to Yasukuni.