Sanae Takaichi becomes Japan's first female prime minister

Japan has elected a female prime minister for the first time in its history. The country's far-right leader Sanae Takaichi has been elected as Japan's next prime minister. After winning a majority in the lower house, she also won the upper house vote on Tuesday, according to BBC and Reuters.

After the upper house vote, Takaichi received 125 votes, one more than the required majority. Earlier, she received 237 votes in the lower house, more than the required 233. The victory almost guarantees her arrival as Japan's prime minister.

According to a Reuters report, Takaichi's victory is seen as a symbol of breaking the "glass wall" in Japanese politics, where men still predominate at the top of power.

Takaichi's election victory was largely due to his alliance with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the right-wing Japan Innovation Party. Local media reported that Satsuki Katayama, an ally of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, could be appointed as the finance minister, making her Japan's first female finance minister.

However, Takaichi's role as prime minister will not be easy. He will have to deal with a sluggish economy, complicated US-Japan relations, and internal party conflicts.

Who is Sanai Takaichi?

Sanai Takaichi was born in 1961 in Nara, Japan. His father was a private sector employee and his mother was a police officer. He began his career as a drummer in a heavy metal band. His interest in politics began during the US-Japan trade dispute in the 1980s.

He was first elected to parliament as a member of parliament from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in 1996. Since then, she has been elected to parliament 10 times and has been defeated only once. She has gradually become known as an outspoken conservative leader of the LDP.

Sanai Takaichi's rise to the prime ministership is not just personal; it is considered an important milestone for women's leadership in Japanese politics.