Japan Poised to Get First Female Prime Minister as Takaichi Secures Coalition Deal

Japan’s right-wing politician Sanae Takaichi looks set to become the country’s first female prime minister after striking a last-minute coalition agreement that will allow her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to retain power.

Hirofumi Yoshimura, co-leader of the Japan Innovation Party (Ishin), said on Monday that his party would support Takaichi’s bid, ensuring enough votes for her to win Tuesday’s parliamentary ballot to choose the next premier.

“I told Takaichi that we should move forward together,” Yoshimura told reporters in Osaka, adding that he would meet her in the evening to formalize the deal.

The agreement clears the path for Takaichi, 64, to replace outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who announced his resignation last week.

Takaichi, a long-time LDP conservative known for her strong stance on China and defense issues, became party leader earlier this month. Her rise briefly appeared in doubt when the centrist Komeito party ended its 26-year alliance with the LDP, citing dissatisfaction over campaign-funding reforms and concern about her hard-line positions.

The split threw Japanese politics into turmoil, but the new pact with Ishin revives the LDP’s grip on government. Together, the two parties hold 231 seats in the lower house, two short of an outright majority, but enough to secure Takaichi’s victory in the prime-ministerial vote.

Even so, passing legislation may require additional support from smaller factions, analysts say.

While Takaichi’s expected appointment would mark a milestone as Japan’s first woman leader, the public response has been cautious.

“The prospect of a first female prime minister doesn’t make me happy,” sociologist Chizuko Ueno wrote on X, arguing that her leadership “doesn’t mean Japanese politics becomes kinder to women.”

Political analyst Chiyako Sato of Mainichi Shimbun echoed that view, describing Takaichi’s platform as “extremely hawkish” and unlikely to advance social or gender reforms.