Sanae Takaichi Shatters Glass Ceiling, Becomes Japan‘s โFirst Female Prime Minister
TOKYO – Sanae Takaichi has been elected as Japan’s first female prime minister, marking a historic shift for the nation. โคTheโค election of Takaichi, a protรฉgรฉ of the late Prime Ministerโ Shinzo Abe, comes after a period of political realignment following recent election defeatsโ and theโ departure of Komeito from the governing coalition.
Takaichi’s ascent to โฃtheโ premiership signals a potential policy shift for Japan, with โexpectations she will pursue Abe’s agenda of strengthening the military and economy, and potentially revising the country’s pacifist constitution.Her electionโ is particularly โcritically important given Japan’s historically low representation of women in leadership positions, and arrives amid ongoing debate regarding social issues like same-sex marriage and allowing separate surnames โขfor marriedโ couples.
First elected to parliament in 1993,โ Takaichiโค has held several key ministerial positions, including Minister of Economic security and Minister of Internal Affairs.she is known as an admirer of former British Primeโ Minister Margaret Thatcher. However,her diplomatic experience is limited,and her conservative views have drawn scrutiny.
Komeito’s decision to leave the governingโฃ coalition stemmed from the Liberal democraticโฃ Party’s (LDP) handling of slush fund scandals and concerns over Takaichi’s stance on sensitiveโฃ ancient and socialโ issues. These included her revisionist views on Japan’s wartime past and her regular visits to Yasukuni Shrine, which are viewed as insensitive by Beijing โคand Seoul.
In aโ recent gesture, โคTakaichi opted to sendโ a religious ornament to Yasukuni Shrine rather ofโ making a personal visit, a move interpreted by some as an attempt to moderate her public image. Despite past xenophobic remarks, โshe has recently toned โdown her hawkish rhetoric. The coming months will reveal โฃthe extent to which Takaichi can navigate these challenges and implement herโค policy objectives, given a potentially fragile โmandate.
