Japan Poised For First Female Leader Amid Party Strife
October 4, 2025
6:20 am
Sanae Takaichi has been elected leader of Japan’s ruling conservative party, placing the 64-year-old on track to become the nation’s first female prime minister. Known for her strong right-wing views, Takaichi is a former government minister, TV host, and heavy metal drummer—a mix that has made her one of Japan’s most recognizable and polarizing political figures.
She now faces the dual challenge of reviving a struggling economy and addressing the pressures of households grappling with inflation and stagnant wages, while navigating complex international relationships, including pending trade arrangements with the United States.
Takaichi inherits a party fractured by scandal and …
