Sanae Takaichi set to make history as Japan’s first female prime minister

Japan continues to receive the first female prime minister after choosing Sanae Takaichi as the new leader.

Japan’s former Minister of Economic Security Takaichi defeated Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of Agriculture Minister of Agriculture, the son of former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, in a tour on Saturday by the ruling liberal Democratic Party.

Takaichi replaces Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba while trying to regain and remain in power.

Despite the major election losses, the liberal Democratic Party continues to be the largest of the lower house and determines the leader of Japan because the opposition groups are extremely disintegrated.

From AOC to Zohran Mamdani, Democrats sell very left politics

In the first round of the vote, Takaichi first finished with 183 votes and the Minister of Agriculture Shinjiro Koizumi came second with 164. Since both candidates did not reach the majority in the first round, the winner was immediately determined in a two -way round.

Japanese Minister of Agriculture Shinjiro Koizumi speaks on Tokyo, Japan, Saturday, October 4, 2025 in the leadership election of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Pool photo over AP)

LDP, who left successive losses in parliamentary elections last year in both houses, searched for a leader who could quickly deal with both local and international challenges while looking for cooperation from key opposition groups to implement its policies.

Trump is not on the ballot, but in the 2025 elections, the president’s front and center

Takaichi, a hard conservative showing former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as his hero, asked to strengthen Japan’s army and take a more difficult attitude towards China and North Korea. It also oppose homosexual marriage and protects ties with nationalist groups.

Photographs of the candidates working for the leader of the ruling liberal Democratic Party are exhibited on October 3, 2025 at the center of the party in Tokyo. (Yohei Fukai/Kyyo news through AP)

Takaichi also faces a possible summit with President Donald Trump, who can demand Japan’s defense expenditures. A meeting was planned in late October. Trump will go to the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in South Korea as of October 31st.

Click here to get the Fox News app

LDP also needs help from the opposition that he has neglected for a long time. The party will probably try to expand its coalition with at least one of the most important opposition parties, which are more centralists.

Parliament vote is expected in mid -October.

Associated Press contributed to this report.