Sanae Takaichi elected Japan’s First Female Prime Minister
Hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi has been elected Japan’s first female prime minister, shattering the political glass ceiling and signalling a decisive turn to the right in one of the world’s most male-dominated political systems.
An acolyte of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi is expected to revive Abe-style government stimulus as she attempts to jumpstart an economy burdened by slow growth and rising prices. Her endorsement of expansive fiscal spending has already triggered what market watchers call a “Takaichi trade”, pushing the Nikkei share average to record highs.
However, the prospect of more stimulus has also sparked investor unease about Japan’s mounting public debt, one of the world’s largest relative to its output. As a result, the yen and bond prices have weakened amid concerns about the government’s ability to finance further spending.
While her election marks a pivotal moment for gender equality in Japan, Takaichi’s initial cabinet appointments have drawn criticism. She named just two women to her cabinet, falling short of her earlier pledge to promote more female representation.
Takaichi is also expected to tighten Japan’s stance on immigration and defence, continuing the rightward drift seen in many advanced democracies. Her victory was secured after her ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) struck a deal with the right-wing Japan Innovation Party (Ishin) to form a coalition government.
Together, the two parties remain two seats short of a lower house majority, but analysts say Takaichi’s strong ideological base and public profile may give her enough leverage to push through her conservative agenda.
