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Sanae Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister on Tuesday, capping a turbulent political week with a last-minute coalition deal that ended years of male-dominated leadership in Tokyo.
A China hawk and social conservative, Takaichi now faces a difficult start as Japan’s fifth leader in five years, heading a minority government just days before U.S. President Donald Trump’s scheduled visit.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president secured victory in both chambers of the bicameral parliament, officially becoming the country’s 104th prime minister.
Takaichi, an admirer of Margaret Thatcher, won a slim majority in a surprise first-round vote in the lower house before the upper house confirmed her appointment in a runoff.
Looking serious, the 64-year-old stood and bowed several times to lawmakers. She will formally take office after an audience with the emperor later in the day.
The former heavy metal drummer took over the LDP on Oct. 4, leading a party that has governed almost continuously for decades but has seen declining support.
Six days later, the Komeito party—uneasy about Takaichi’s conservative positions and a growing slush fund scandal—quit the coalition, forcing her to strike a new alliance with the reformist, right-leaning Japan Innovation Party (JIP) on Monday evening.
JIP calls for eliminating the consumption tax on food, banning corporate and organizational donations, and cutting the number of MPs.
Takaichi pledged Monday to “make Japan’s economy stronger and reshape Japan as a country that can be responsible for future generations.”
“She’s a strong-minded person, regardless of being a woman,” pensioner Toru Takahashi, 76, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) in Takaichi’s hometown of Nara. “She’s not like Trump. But she’s clear about what’s right and wrong,” he said.
Takaichi was elected during the 219th extraordinary session of parliament, locally known as the Diet. Soon after the vote, she is expected to unveil her cabinet lineup.
Shinjiro Koizumi is expected to be appointed defense minister, Toshimitsu Motegi foreign minister, and Yoshimasa Hayashi internal affairs minister.
Earlier in the day, outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his Cabinet resigned, paving the way for the new administration. Ishiba stepped down last month after facing intense criticism within the LDP following consecutive election defeats.
Takaichi’s rise as the LDP’s first female president earlier this month came after the coalition lost its majority in the upper house election on July 20, following a similar loss in the lower house in October 2024. Ishiba was Japan’s fourth prime minister to resign in five years, after Shinzo Abe, Yoshihide Suga, and Fumio Kishida.
The LDP has ruled Japan almost uninterruptedly, except for six years.
Meanwhile, Asian stock markets gained on Tuesday as optimism over easing U.S.-China trade tensions lifted sentiment, buoyed further by Takaichi’s historic election.
She secured 237 votes in parliament and is expected to oppose interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan while favoring more fiscal stimulus despite Japan’s high debt levels.
Beijing said Tuesday it hopes to “advance” ties with Tokyo after the appointment of the prominent China hawk. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said China had “noted the election result,” calling it “Japan’s internal affair.”
He urged Tokyo to “honor its political commitments on major issues, including history and Taiwan,” responding to a question at a daily press conference.
Takaichi has pledged a Cabinet with “Nordic” levels of women, up from two under outgoing premier Ishiba.
Possible appointees include right-wing lawmaker Satsuki Katayama for finance and half-American Kimi Onoda as economic security minister, according to local media.
Japan ranked 118th out of 148 in the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Gender Gap Report. Women account for around 15 percent of lower house MPs, and corporate boardrooms remain overwhelmingly male.
Takaichi has spoken candidly about her experience with menopause and aims to raise awareness about women’s health.
However, she opposes revising a 19th-century law requiring married couples to share the same surname and supports maintaining male-only imperial succession.
In Nara, company worker Keiko Yoshida, 39, told AFP she hopes Takaichi will “make Japan a more livable place for women.”
“I’d be happy if we saw more policies from a woman’s perspective: support for childcare and help for women returning to work after having children,” agreed student Nina Terao, 18.
Details remain unclear about Japan’s proposed $500 billion investment plan as part of its trade deal with Washington. Trump is pressing Tokyo to halt Russian energy imports and boost defense spending.
“I’d like her to be a prime minister who can clearly say ‘No’ when needed,” Satoshi Sakamoto, 73, another Nara pensioner, told AFP.
Takaichi faces steep challenges, including reversing Japan’s population decline and reviving its stagnant economy. Leading a minority in both houses, her coalition will need backing from other parties to pass legislation.
She has previously supported aggressive monetary easing and expanded government spending, echoing her mentor, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Takaichi once said, “Japan is completely looked down on by Chin,a” and called for stronger security cooperation with Taiwan. Recently, she has softened her rhetoric and last week skipped her usual visit to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine honoring Japan’s war dead.
She will also face pressure to revive the LDP’s fortunes after repeated election losses that cost Ishiba his job. Smaller parties gaining momentum include the populist Sanseito, which describes immigration as a “silent invasion.”
“Prices have gone up, and it’s tough,” Nara pensioner Satoe Tominaga, 77, told AFP, saying she was “50-50” about Takaichi. “Honestly, I mostly shop at 100-yen ($0.66) stores now.”
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