by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
TOKYO (Worthy News) – Japan on Tuesday elected Sanae Takaichi as its first female prime minister, marking a historic political shift in the world’s third-largest economy.
The 64-year-old conservative leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secured a parliamentary majority after striking a fragile deal with the opposition Japan Innovation Party (Ishin), according to official results.
Takaichi succeeded Shigeru Ishiba, who resigned after just over a year in office, ending weeks of political uncertainty in Tokyo.
Born in Nara, western Japan, Takaichi has long been known for her nationalist views and admiration of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher.
ECONOMY, DEFENSE, AND MIGRATION
Her priorities, she said, will be to “make the Japanese economy stronger and remake Japan into a country capable of fulfilling its responsibilities to future generations.”
Takaichi has pledged to tackle rising prices, raise Japan’s defense budget, tighten immigration policies, and pursue diplomacy centered on closer ties with the United States.
While her election represents a breakthrough for women in Japanese politics, critical analysts note that her socially conservative record makes major progress on gender equality or civil rights reforms unlikely.
Her government’s stability remains uncertain amid economic challenges, demographic decline, and pressure to balance fiscal restraint with defense spending.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Tens of thousands of Hungarians braved pouring rain Wednesday in a massive show of force for Hungary’s emerging TISZA Party, led by opposition politician Péter Magyar, who accused Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of betraying the ideals of 1989 when he once demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from Hungary.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered brief, upbeat remarks in Jerusalem on Thursday, even as tensions between Washington and Jerusalem escalated over a controversial Israeli bill to annex parts of Judea and Samaria (also known as the West Bank).
Republicans’ attempts to avert the worst effects of the ongoing government shutdown failed Thursday after Senate Democrats blocked a bill that would ensure essential federal employees are paid on time.
The U.S. national debt has surpassed $38 trillion for the first time in history, according to new Treasury Department data released Wednesday — marking another alarming milestone in the government’s rapidly escalating borrowing spree.
A riverside resort in western Serbia, once marketed as “a unique oasis for rest and recreation,” is at the center of allegations that Russia used the site for training citizens to incite unrest before Moldova’s recent parliamentary elections.
Serbian authorities said at least one man was injured Wednesday after gunfire and a fire erupted at a camp of government supporters outside the national parliament, prompting President Aleksandar Vučić to call the incident a “terrorist act.”
Hamas has begun detaining and torturing its rivals in underground prison facilities in Gaza, stepping up its internal repression even as the ceasefire with Israel holds, Israel Hayom reported Thursday.