- Takaichi will become Japan’s first female prime minister.
- Takaichi’s election marks a shift to the right in Japan.
- Stock markets are optimistic about Takaichi’s economic policies.
Hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister on Tuesday after winning a critical vote in the lower house of parliament.
Takaichi, an acolyte of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and an admirer of Britain’s Margaret Thatcher, received 237 votes in the lower house election to elect the next prime minister, surpassing the majority of the 465-seat chamber.
Her victory shatters the glass ceiling in a country where men still have overwhelming influence and puts Japan, a close ally of the United States, on a resounding shift to the right.
His victory comes after his Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed Japan for most of its postwar history, agreed to a coalition deal with the right-wing Japan Innovation Party, known as Ishin.
Takaichi will likely be approved by the less powerful upper house and will be sworn in as Japan’s 104th prime minister this afternoon to succeed incumbent Shigeru Ishiba, who last month announced his resignation to take responsibility for election losses.
But his rise is unlikely to be celebrated as a sign of progressive change, instead marking a shift to the right on immigration and social issues. After years of deflation, Japan is now grappling with rising prices, something that has sparked public anger and fueled support for opposition groups, including the far-right Sanseito party.
