Japan’s parliament elects Sanae Takaichi nation’s first female prime minister : NPR

TOKYO – Japan's parliament elected the ultra-conservative Sanae Takaichi as the country's first female prime minister on Tuesday, a day after her struggling party struck a coalition deal with a new partner that is expected to pull her ruling bloc further to the right.

Takaichi will succeed Shigeru Ishiba, ending three months of political vacuum and infighting after the Liberal Democratic Party's disastrous election defeat in July.

Ishiba, who lasted only one year as prime minister, resigned along with his cabinet earlier that day, paving the way for his successor.

Takaichi received 237 votes – four more than a majority – compared with 149 received by Yoshikoko Noda, head of the largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, in the lower house, which elects the prime minister. When the results were announced, Takaichi stood up and bowed deeply.

The LDP's alliance with the Osaka-based right-wing Japan Innovation Party (Ishin no Kai) secured the premiership because the opposition is not united. Takaichi's untested alliance still lacks a majority in both houses of parliament and will have to seek any legislation from other opposition groups – a risk that could make her government unstable and short-lived.

The two parties signed a coalition agreement on policies emphasizing Takaichi's hawkish and nationalist views.

Their last-minute agreement came after the Liberal Democrats lost their longtime partner, the Buddhist-backed Komeito Party, which takes a more pacific and centrist position. The collapse threatened the succession of power to the LDP, which had ruled Japan almost continuously for decades.

Combating rising prices and other economic measures is a top priority for the Takaichi government, LDP Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki told public broadcaster NHK, apologizing for the delay due to internal power struggles within the party after July elections. He said the new coalition would work with other opposition parties to quickly tackle rising prices and “meet people's expectations.”

Later in the day, Takaichi, 64, will introduce to the cabinet a number of allies of the LDP's most powerful kingmaker Taro Aso and others who backed her in the party leadership vote.

JIP will not hold ministerial positions in Takaichi's cabinet until his party is confident in its partnership with the LDP, Yoshimura said.

Takaichi is working to a deadline as she prepares for a major policy speech later this week, talks with US President Donald Trump and regional summits. It needs to quickly tackle rising prices and develop stimulus measures by the end of December to deal with public discontent.

Although she is Japan's first woman prime minister, she has been slow to promote gender equality or diversity.

Takaichi is among a number of Japanese politicians who are blocking measures to improve the status of women. Takaichi supports male-only succession of the imperial family and opposes same-sex marriage and allowing separate surnames for married couples.

Takaichi, a protégé of slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is expected to follow his policies, including strengthening the military and economy and revising Japan's pacifist constitution. Given her potentially weak power, there is no telling what Takaichi will be able to achieve.

Also a fan of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi was first elected to Parliament in 1993 and has held a number of senior party and government posts, including economic security and home affairs ministers, but has little diplomatic experience.

When Komeito left the ruling coalition, he cited the LDP's weak response to the slush fund scandals that led to their successive election defeats.

The Center Party has also raised concerns about Takaichi's revisionist view of Japan's military past and her regular prayers at Yasukuni Shrine, despite protests from Beijing and Seoul, which see the visits as a lack of remorse for Japanese aggression, as well as her recent xenophobic remarks.

Takaichi toned down her hawkish rhetoric. On Friday, instead of going to Yasukuni, she sent a religious ornament.