What to expect from Japan's Sanae Takaichi

What you probably already know: Japan will most probably soon have its first woman prime minister. The country’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi as its leader Saturday, paving the way for her to become the country’s first woman prime minister. The 64-year-old Takaichi has served in the cabinets of two previous prime ministers. If the National Diet (the national legislature of Japan) elects her prime minister later this month, as expected, it would represent a historic shift in a nation long dominated by male leadership. Japan, like most countries, has historically struggled with gender disparity in politics and the workplace.

Why it matters: Takaichi began her political career in the 1990s after studying in the United States. She has won 10 elections and held numerous high-level positions, including minister for Internal Affairs and Communication, minister in charge of Science and Technology and State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. Takaichi is noted for her nationalism and promoting traditional family values, has emphasized the country’s cultural identity and historical pride and has sometimes stirred controversy with her traditional views on women and gender equality. She has said that she views equal pay for men and women as a threat to traditional family values and favors crackdowns on immigration.

What it means: The Center for Strategic & International Studies says that Takaichi assumes power at a particularly contentious time in Japanese politics, noting rising inflation and domestic political strife, a rise in opposition parties and an uncertain global environment. The analysis calls her a “security hawk” who is likely to prioritize defense spending much like her protégé, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. It says “her immediate task will be to replicate the personal rapport Abe (who served as prime minister until 2020) established with President Trump,” who is expected to visit Japan later this month. Despite those and other challenges, parliamentary elections may not occur again until 2028, giving her time to implement her agenda.

What happens now? The Wall Street Journal notes that Takaichi has called former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher an inspiration. The Journal’s Editorial Board goes on to say that the Liberal Democratic Party hasn’t had influential leadership since Abe’s retirement and then assassination and has a tenuous hold on the nation’s government. “The list of voter complaints will sound familiar,” the Journal said, listing immigration and foreign policy as key concerns, though “Takaichi will rise or fall on the economy, and here the outlook is cloudy,” mostly because of rampant inflation. She is, however, extremely popular among younger voters, and optimism is rampant: Japanese stock market Nikkei hit a record high Monday, two days after her election.