Sanae Takaichi is a Japanese politician who was chosen by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party as its new president, making her the first female prime minister to ever serve in Japan. On October 4, there was a party vote that she nearly lost against Shinjiro Koizumi, an Agricultural Minister. She is anticipated to be officially recognized as prime minister by the Japanese Diet by the month’s end. In 1993, she was also elected to parliament as an independent representative from Nara Prefecture, eventually becoming a member of the Liberal Democratic Party in 1996. Throughout the years, she has occupied various significant government roles, such as the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications. More recently, she served as the Minister of State for Economic Security. This means she supports Abenomics, which essentially addresses the cost of living. She also emphasized having economic security for the citizens of Japan. In 2021 and 2024, she also ran for the Liberal Democratic Party; however, in both cases, she ended up losing, although her persistence is apparent. Her dedication, though, has paid off this time around. Freshman Liam Glenister said, “I am a feminist and I am very happy to hear a woman has been selected as prime minister”. Japan’s government, with Takaichi as the Prime Minister, has an impact on the world that remains to be seen. This first in Japanese politics will likely magnify both her successes and her failures.
