Japan Gets Its First Female Prime Minister

The Japanese parliament on Tuesday elected Sanae Takaichi, leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), as the country’s new prime minister, making her the first woman in the country to hold the post, Reuters reported.

Takaichi, 64, secured a clear majority Tuesday, winning 327 votes in the powerful lower house and another 125 in the upper house, becoming Japan’s 104th prime minister.

The newly appointed leader is a staunch conservative known for her nationalist views, her support for revising Japan’s pacifist constitution, and her calls to strengthen the country’s military capabilities.

Takaichi is taking over during a period of instability for Japan, a country that has had four prime ministers in five years due to plunging support for the LDP, mainly due to campaign finance scandals. The economy has also been lagging, with the country grappling with rising living costs.

Nicknamed the “Iron Lady” for her admiration of the late former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi will also have to deal with complicated relationships abroad.

South Korea, which has been working to mend its historically delicate relations with Japan, is wary due to Takaichi’s nationalist politics.

Similar to some of her predecessors, such as her mentor, the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, she is expected to take a tough stance toward China.

However, analysts say Japan’s most important relationship is with the United States. An early test is likely to come when she meets with US President Donald Trump next week.

While Japan and the US have already agreed on a tariff deal, some are concerned about Trump’s past comments doubting the value of a security treaty between the two countries. However, like Abe, who was close to Trump, Takaichi has been calling for increases in the defense budget, a move that will likely be welcomed by the Trump administration, which has called on Tokyo to reach NATO’s 5 percent benchmark, according to CNN.

Earlier this month, Takaichi, a former economic security minister, defeated four men in elections to become the new LDP leader and became the frontrunner in the race to become prime minister. However, her path to the office was derailed when the LDP’s long-time coalition partner, the Komeito party, withdrew its support.

A last-minute deal with a right-leaning opposition party, Japan Innovation, known as Ishin, secured her victory.