JAPAN’S RULING PARTY CHOOSES SANAE TAKAICHI AS LEADER, POISED TO BECOME FIRST FEMALE PRIME MINISTER. (PHOTO).

 Japan’s ruling party chooses Sanae Takaichi as leader, poised to become first female prime minister

Japan’s ruling party on Saturday elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi as its new leader, positioning her to become the country’s first female prime minister. A 64-year-old hard-line conservative and China hawk, Takaichi is the first woman to lead the long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has been heavily male-dominated.

Takaichi, an admirer of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and a protege of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ultra-conservative vision, is known for her visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, a site tied to Japan’s wartime militarism that could complicate relations with neighboring Asian countries. She defeated Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, in a runoff among LDP members.

She replaces Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who stepped down after the party suffered major election setbacks. With the LDP still holding a dominant position in the lower house, Takaichi is expected to become Japan’s next prime minister, as the opposition remains fragmented. Upon her victory, Takaichi thanked party members and emphasized the challenges ahead. “Right now, instead of savoring joy, I’m overwhelmed by what’s ahead, a mountain of challenges that I have to tackle with help from all of you,” she said, calling for unity to rebuild the party and restore public confidence.

The LDP, which has experienced consecutive losses in parliamentary elections, faces pressure to quickly regain voter support and stabilize its leadership. Takaichi will also need to work with key opposition parties to implement policies. Ishiba, a centrist who negotiated trade deals and sought to strengthen Japan’s regional ties, urged party members to unite under the new leadership.

Five candidates—two current and three former ministers—vied for the LDP presidency. The vote involved 295 party parliamentarians and roughly one million dues-paying members, representing just 1% of the Japanese public. A broader parliamentary vote is expected in mid-October, with international pressure looming, including a possible meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Takaichi’s victory over centrist Koizumi signals the LDP’s intent to reclaim conservative voters lost to far-right groups in recent elections. While she presented herself as a “moderate conservative” willing to cooperate with opposition parties, Takaichi supports higher fiscal spending, a stronger military, cybersecurity measures, and tighter regulations on foreign tourists and laborers. Analysts note that candidates largely avoided discussing historical disputes, social issues such as same-sex marriage, and corruption scandals—topics that contributed to the party’s previous electoral losses—raising questions about the LDP’s ability to regain public trust.