Sanae Takaichi could be Japan’s first woman prime minister, but outcome unclear
On September 27, 2024, a party member Sanae Takaichi speaks before the election of a tour during the Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership elections in Tokyo, Japan.
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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed his intention to resign, while the country’s next leader was completely opened.
Various names were banded to see who will achieve Ishiba, but two important names appeared: Former Minister of Economic Security Sanae Takaichi and the current Minister of Agriculture Shinjiro Koizumi.
Neither of them officially announced a run, but political risk consultancy said that both of the Eurasian group is expected to enter the competition to replace Ishiba.
A Nikkei evidence survey Last month, Takaichi leads 23% support, while Koizumi had 22%. If it was elected, Takaichi would be the first woman to rule the world’s fourth largest economy.
When Japan was asked whether a woman is ready for the prime minister, Tomohiko Taniguchi, a former cabinet under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said that CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” voters are more ready for a female leader.
“It is time for Japan to have the first female prime minister, and I think it is compatible with the changes that took place for the last 10, 15 years,” he added, “Women’s labor force participation in Japan is greater than in the United States.”
According to the latest data of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, about 85% of Japanese women aged 25 to 54 years were working in the United States compared to 78%.
Takaichi ran against Ishiba last year’s Liberal Democratic Party leadership race and led the first round before losing the tour.
Later, he took himself away from the Ishiba government, the cabinet and no role. reject off The head of the switch LDP General Council.
(Short) End of the term of office
At a press conference on Sunday, Ishiba said this He resigned to take responsibility for a series of election losses.
Since Japan faces the cost of life crisis, rice prices reach more than 50 years of increase in June.
In Ishiba Completing a trade agreement Together with the US, with the US, which sets 15% basic tariffs for all Japanese exports, including the automobile sector.
“When the Japan signed the trade agreement and the President signed the execution order, we have passed a key obstacle.” He said. According to Reuters. “I want to pass the baton to future generations.”
His resignation ends with a short clue that sees that Komeito, the ruling LDP and Junior coalition partner, has lost the majority of Japan’s upper and lower parliamentary houses.
Takaichi vs koizumi
According to the Eurasian Group, Takaichi is a “abenomic apostle”, referring to ABE’s economic policies, which adopts large -scale monetary policy, financial expenditures and structural reforms.
“Investors will closely monitor Takaichi’s election expectations because of their previous pointed criticism and support for greater financial incentives for the plans to raise interest rates of Japan Bank.”
Boj ended the negative interest rate regime in March 2024 and last It kept the rates as 0.5%. However, Takaichi before the LDP leadership competition last October, Boj’s marches were “too early.”
In addition, Japan’s Pacific Constitution, especially in favor of reviewing Article 9, which has abandoned Japan’s right to fight.
Japanese Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi at the 2025 APEC Food Safety Ministers meeting on August 10, 2025 at Songdo Convensia in South Korea, Incheon.
Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images
In contrast, he was less obvious in coizum policy, but after the former Japanese leader Junichiro Koizumi’s son took over as the Minister of Farm and managed the rice crisis in Japan.
Monex Group Specialist Director Jesper Koll, Financial Services Company, said Takaichi’s “strong policy ideas and, more importantly, a strong ‘practitioners’ team from both the LDP and the elite bureaucracy.
Although the mainstream does not like LDP ideas, Koll described his ideas as “radical” and admired the desire to do things among the elites of LDP.
In contrast, Koll said Koizumi is a safe couple. “Since it is basically empty to politics, LDP Old-Gard is sure that it will not put its settled agendas on stage on agricultural policy or rural-earned interest protection.”
In addition, he can easily build a compromise with the opposition parties in the Lower Parliament to get his support as Prime Minister.
Or someone else?
Although LDP-Komeito is the management coalition of Japan, the winner of the LDP leadership race may not be automatically prime minister because the lower house has made the final election.
Since the LDP has lost its majority in the room, all the opposition deputies can elect the next prime minister if united behind a single candidate.
There are 220 seats combined with LDP and Komeito, 465 seats in the lower house. However, this scenario is not possible, Eurasian analysts, LDP’s 196 chair and still the largest vote block in the lower house is taken into consideration.
