Sanae Takaichi Elected Japan's First Female Prime Minister

On the afternoon of October 21, the Lower House of the Diet held a plenary session to elect the nation's next top leader. Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Sanae Takaichi was chosen as Japan's 104th prime minister, making history as the first woman in the nation's constitutional history to assume the post.

Takaichi secured 237 votes in the Lower House, surpassing the required majority of 233 on the first ballot. Thus, she won the election without a runoff.

In the Upper House, Takaichi fell one vote short of a majority in the first round, receiving 123 votes, one short of the number needed to win. By contrast, Constitutional Democratic Party leader Yoshihiko Noda, who came in second, received only 44. A runoff was then held, in which Takaichi secured 125 votes, surpassing Noda's 46, and won the election. (Another 47 votes were cast for third candidates in the runoff and did not count toward anyone's 50% share.)

Coalition Takes Shape

Following her election to the LDP presidency, Takaichi immediately began forming her cabinet. Later the same afternoon, she will be officially charged with her new duties following the Imperial investiture and ministerial attestation ceremonies at the Imperial Palace. The new ruling coalition government between the LDP and Nippon Ishin no Kai (Ishin) will then be launched. Takaichi is scheduled to hold a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office the same night (October 21) to outline her policy agenda.

*Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (©Sankei by Naka Haruna).*

Her new cabinet plans to promptly compile a supplementary budget for fiscal 2025 to address rising prices. With her coalition partner, Takaichi also intends to order an earlier-than-planned revision of the government's 2022 three key national security documents in response to the worsening security environment.

Read the LDP-Ishin no Kai Coalition Agreement

Watch for Updates with profiles of the Takaichi Cabinet.