Sanae Takaichi Set to Become Japan’s First Female Prime Minister After LDP–JIP Coalition Deal

Japan’s parliament is set to elect Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female Prime Minister on Tuesday, ending a three-month political stalemate following the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) defeat in the July election, according to AP.

Takaichi, an ultraconservative politician, will replace outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who resigned with his Cabinet earlier on Tuesday after just one year in office. His departure cleared the way for Takaichi’s appointment, reported AP.

Her election comes a day after the LDP reached a last-minute coalition deal with the Osaka-based Japan Innovation Party (JIP), or Ishin no Kai, a rightwing group that will pull the governing bloc further to the right. The agreement ensures her parliamentary majority for Tuesday’s vote, as the opposition remains divided.

Despite the alliance, the two parties still fall short of a majority in both houses of parliament, leaving Takaichi reliant on support from other opposition groups to pass legislation — a challenge that could render her government unstable and short-lived, AP reported.

“Political stability is essential right now,” Takaichi said on Monday during the coalition signing ceremony with JIP leader and Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura. “Without stability, we cannot push measures for a strong economy or diplomacy.”

The coalition agreement underscores Takaichi’s hawkish and nationalistic policy stance. The pact was reached just ten days after the LDP’s longtime coalition partner, the Buddhist-backed Komeito party, ended its alliance with the ruling party. Komeito, known for its centrist and pacifist leanings, cited dissatisfaction with the LDP’s handling of slush fund scandals and expressed concern over Takaichi’s revisionist views on Japan’s wartime past.

Once elected, the 64-year-old leader is expected to form a Cabinet that includes close allies of powerful LDP figure Taro Aso and others who supported her in the party leadership race. Yoshimura said JIP members will not take ministerial posts until the party gains confidence in the coalition’s stability.

Takaichi faces immediate political and economic pressures. She is scheduled to deliver a policy speech later this week and hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, followed by regional summits. Her government is expected to compile an economic stimulus package by late December to address rising prices and public frustration, according to AP.

While Takaichi will become Japan’s first woman to hold the post, she has shown little urgency in advancing gender equality or diversity policies. She has opposed same-sex marriage, separate surnames for married couples, and supports maintaining male-only imperial succession.

A protégé of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi is expected to follow his policy priorities, including strengthening Japan’s military, boosting the economy, and pursuing constitutional revision. However, her ability to deliver on those goals may be limited by the coalition’s fragile numbers in parliament.

Komeito’s withdrawal from the LDP-led government followed concerns about Takaichi’s past remarks and her visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which Beijing and Seoul view as a symbol of Japan’s wartime aggression. In a sign of restraint, she sent a religious ornament to the shrine on Friday instead of visiting in person.

Takaichi’s appointment marks a historic first for Japan, but her leadership begins under strained political conditions and heightened scrutiny over her conservative agenda, reported AP.

(With inputs from AP)