Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Saturday elected conservative nationalist Sanae Takaichi as its new president, positioning her to become the country’s first female prime minister.
Takaichi, 64, secured victory over her closest rival, Shinjiro Koizumi, 44, in a tightly contested race aimed at restoring public trust in the LDP amid mounting economic pressures and declining voter confidence. A parliamentary vote to formally elect the new prime minister, replacing Shigeru Ishiba, is scheduled for October 15.
The LDP, which has dominated Japanese politics for most of the postwar era, faces an uphill task after losing its majority in both houses under Ishiba’s leadership. Takaichi’s win comes as the party grapples with voter disillusionment and the growing appeal of opposition forces promising economic revival and stricter immigration policies.
A former internal affairs minister and staunch supporter of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s “Abenomics,” Takaichi has pledged to revive growth through aggressive fiscal spending and relaxed monetary policy. Her criticism of recent Bank of Japan rate hikes and calls for renegotiating investment terms with U.S. President Donald Trump suggest a bold, nationalist approach to governance.
Known for her hardline stance on security, Takaichi has regularly visited the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, a move likely to strain relations with China and South Korea. She has also voiced support for revising Japan’s pacifist constitution and forming a “quasi-security alliance” with Taiwan.
“If elected, I will travel overseas more frequently to tell the world that Japan is back,” she said after her victory.
Takaichi, who has cited former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as her role model, vowed to transform citizens’ anxieties into hope and restore confidence in Japan’s future. She is expected to address the media later today.
