‘Iron lady’: Japan set for first female prime minister as Sanae Takaichi wins party vote

3 days ago 5

Singapore: Sanae Takaichi, a hardline conservative lawmaker, is poised to become Japan’s first female prime minister after securing the presidency of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

A veteran politician and former economic security minister, Takaichi has styled herself as Japan’s “Iron Lady” and claims Britain’s first female prime minister Margaret Thatcher as her hero.

Her victory at a party leadership vote on Saturday marks a significant moment for the LDP and Japan’s political system in general, where women comprise about 15 per cent of the lower house.

Sanae Takaichi is set to become Japan’s first female prime minister.

She defeated Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, a 44-year-old political scion who was vying to be Japan’s youngest leader in more than a century, meaning the party race was destined to deliver a historic outcome either way.

As leader, Takaichi, 64, faces a monumental task resurrecting a party in crisis amid a voter backlash over a stagnant economy and rising prices. The LDP, which has governed Japan for most of its post-war history, in the past year has lost its majority in both houses of parliament, forcing it to work with opposition parties to secure its agenda.

She will also confront the challenge of dealing with the unpredictable Trump administration and navigating a US trade deal that requires Japan to invest $US550 billion in the American economy.

“Recently, I have heard harsh voices from across the country saying we don’t know what the LDP stands for anymore,” said Takaichi in a speech on Saturday.

“That sense of urgency drove me. I wanted to turn people’s anxieties about their daily lives and the future into hope.”

She replaces Shigeru Ishiba, who stepped down last month after less than a year in the top job and is expected to succeed him as prime minister. In the past, winning the presidency of the LDP guaranteed the victor the prime ministership, but without a majority in the national parliament, she must seek the support of opposition lawmakers.

Takaichi triumphed over Koizumi by securing the support of party kingmakers in a two-round voting process that involved LDP lawmakers and rank-and-file party members.

She was an ally of Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest serving prime minister who was assassinated in 2022, and is a strong proponent of his conservative politics and “Abenomics” economic vision.

Known for her hawkish and nationalistic views, she has made regular visits to the Yasukuni shrine to Japan’s war dead, where 14 convicted war criminals are buried – a practice that is seen as antagonistic in China and South Korea.

Kenneth McElwain, a politics professor at the University of Tokyo, said Takaichi’s victory reflected a view in the party that it needs to move to the right to win back public support after it lost the upper house election in July and the far-right Sanseito party gained ground.

“The party remains divided on whether they think they lost, particularly the upper house election in July, because their right flank has been too exposed or they need to appeal to the middle, which is where most voters tend to self identify in surveys,” he said.

“If you think the problem is we’ve lost the right and we need to secure it, then Takaichi is the more attractive candidate.”

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