Japan elects Sanae Takaichi as first female prime minister

Japan lawmakers have recently elected Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first-ever prime minister on Tuesday amid tumultuous politics.

The 64-year-old leader comes to the helm after succeeding Shigeru Ishiba, who stepped down after the electoral losses.

The governing Liberal Democratic Party’s newly elected leader, Takaichi secured her position after winning two parliamentary votes.

She outcompeted her rival Yoshihiko Noda by a vote of 237-149 in the lower house. In the upper house, she secured her election with 125-46 votes.

Japan’s newly elected prime minister will begin her term following the ceremony with the emperor.

Takaichi’s victory marks a paradigm shift in Japanese politics where women are severely underrepresented in a government. Her victory is breaking a new ground in the country dominated with patriarchy.

After taking office, Takaichi will enter office with a fragile coalition and facing a number of pressing challenges.

More significantly, Sanae Takaichi became the prime minister just before US President Donald Trump set to visit the country by next week.