Following a challenging path, the staunch conservative Sanae Takaichi was elected Prime Minister by Japan’s parliament on Tuesday, becoming the East Asian country’s first female PM.
Takaichi, 64, who leads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), secured 237 out of 465 votes in the lower chamber of the National Diet, Japan’s parliament, triumphing over opposition candidate Yoshihiko Noda. In the upper chamber, Takaichi missed a majority by one seat in a first-round vote but ultimately won in a runoff election against Noda.
The Diet convened for an extraordinary session to elect Takaichi, who assumed the role after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his cabinet resigned earlier in the morning.
While the LDP has governed Japan for decades, and its party president has historically been a guaranteed choice for the premiership, a string of recent scandals has eroded public backing for the party. Losses in parliamentary elections led to Ishiba’s resignation in September.
Takaichi secured the party leadership on Oct. 4, indicating a move rightward for the traditionally center-right party. However, her assumption of the premiership was complicated by Komeito’s withdrawal as the LDP’s coalition partner of 26 years, casting doubt on the LDP’s continued hold on power. The LDP currently possesses a plurality of legislative seats, but not a majority.
Nevertheless, on Monday, Takaichi gathered the necessary votes by forming an alliance with the libertarian Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), which officially entered into a coalition agreement with the LDP.
Currently, Ishin holds 54 seats across both parliamentary chambers, contrasting with Komeito’s 43, resulting in the LDP’s new coalition controlling 351 seats.
Noboyuki Baba, the former leader of Ishin, characterized Ishin as “the second LDP” — and indeed, their policies show resemblances. Formed in 2010, the party aligns with Takaichi’s firm stance on national security and immigration, diverging from Komeito’s more restrained, pacifist position. Both the LDP and Ishin advocate for increased defense spending and amendments to the Japanese constitution to permit the upkeep of military forces. Takaichi informed reporters on Monday that both parties possess “many common views” and are “essentially heading in the same direction.”
However, the coalition’s stability remains a concern. Ishin, unlike Komeito, is not demanding any ministerial seats in Takaichi’s cabinet, at least for the present.
Jeff Kingston, a professor of Asian studies at Temple University’s Tokyo campus, informed TIME that this implies “if outcomes aren’t what Ishin anticipates, they are free to withdraw.”
Kingston further noted that Takaichi’s inability to retain Komeito within the coalition will impact her reputation: “she appears already as a less influential leader,” he stated, observing that despite often inviting comparisons to her mentor, the late Shinzo Abe, “she lacks the political gravitas” he possessed in Japanese politics.
Stephen Nagy, a visiting fellow at the Japan Institute for International Affairs, communicated to TIME that the longevity of Takaichi’s administration will hinge on her ability to navigate relations with U.S. President Donald Trump and her adherence to some of her most debated domestic ideological stances.
“My singular concern,” Nagy remarked, “is that she might falter by pursuing ideological, short-term advantages, rather than prioritizing pragmatic, long-term benefits essential for the sustained leadership required for effective policymaking by Prime Ministers.”
