Japan elects first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi

A majority of the Japanese parliament on Tuesday voted for Takaichi as its next prime minister. The 64-year-old leader of the right-wing Liberal Democratic Party is the first woman to hold the office. Takaichi has served as an elected official since 1993 with ministerial roles in the cabinets of former prime ministers Shinzo Abe and Fumio Kishida, according to the Japanese government. A last-minute coalition with the Japan Innovation Party made Takaichi’s win possible after a longtime partner, Komeito party, withdrew its support from her, according to Nippon, a news website.

Takaichi became the leader of her party on Oct. 4. Previous prime minister Shigeru Ishiba decided to step down after the Liberal Democratic Party faced several election losses.

What are Takaichi’s priorities as she enters office? She recently wrote on social media that she planned to overhaul the government’s tax committee to include more input from elected representatives. Her party is expected to assemble a budget bill aimed at lowering inflation and a bill to eliminate gasoline surcharges, according to Japanese news agency Jiji Press.

Takaichi also planned to prioritize Japan’s relations with the United States. President Donald Trump, who is set to visit Japan soon, warmly congratulated her on her win. She also signaled strong support and deeper cooperation with Taiwan.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s story on Trump’s new minerals deal with Australia.