EXPLAINER
An admirer of Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi is a social conservative and faces a number of challenges upon taking office.
Sanae Takaichi will become Japan’s first female prime minister after winning a leadership vote in the legislature.
He was scheduled to meet Emperor Naruhito on Tuesday after his victory, cementing his place in history.
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Here’s what you need to know about Japan’s next leader:
What is Takaichi’s background?
Takaichi, 64, entered Japanese politics in the 1990s as a member of the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
He was born in Nara Prefecture in central Japan and graduated from Kobe University, according to his official biography.
His upbringing was somewhat more humble than that of other high-ranking members of the LDP, many of whom graduated from elite universities such as the University of Tokyo and the Harvard Kennedy School.
Takaichi is best known as the protégé of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. She served in various iterations of his cabinet and in the cabinet of former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
What are Takaichi’s policies?
Takaichi, an admirer of the late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, has been referred to in the media as Japan’s “Iron Lady” for her equally conservative leanings.
In the recent leadership race, Takaichi advocated economic policies reminiscent of his mentor’s “Abenomics”: a strategy of fiscal expansion, monetary easing and structural reform.
On social issues, she opposes same-sex marriage, takes a harder line on immigration, and believes that the imperial succession should continue to give preference to men.
It is also known as a “China hawk” who supports a stronger military and a status quo in the Taiwan Strait. As a member of the LDP, he has also made several visits to meet with Taipei political parties, much to China’s chagrin.
Other controversial trips include previous visits to Yasukuni Shrine, a memorial to Japan’s war dead. The shrine is a thorny issue in Japan and abroad because it also enshrines war criminals from World War II.
What does Takaichi’s victory mean for Japan?
Takaichi’s victory means Japan will continue down a path of conservative government with a more right-wing turn, according to experts.
However, conservative politics in Japan is somewhat different from that in the West, says Stephen Nagy, a professor of politics and international studies at the International Christian University of Japan.
While Takaichi wants to strengthen Japan’s defense forces and curb immigration, one thing that won’t change is Japan’s social welfare system.
“Conservative in Japan means strong on security, it means strong on China, it means strong US-Japan relations. It means protecting the emperor’s system,” he told Al Jazeera before the vote. “In general [also] It means an interventionist government that provides quite a few social welfare programs.
“We will see Takaichi lead a new conservative party, the LDP, but conservative in the Japanese sense of conservative,” he added.
What’s next for Takaichi?
Takaichi’s path to victory was not easy and he still faces many uncertainties.
She will become Japan’s fourth prime minister in five years and will take the helm from a relatively weak position.
While the LDP has been the dominant political force in postwar Japan, the party has lost its majority in both chambers of the legislature in the past two years. His long-term coalition with the far-right Sanseito party also collapsed shortly after Takaichi was elected LDP leader in October, due to disagreements over campaign donations and anti-corruption measures.
The LDP was able to form a new alliance with the Japan Innovation Party, another conservative party, securing enough seats in the legislature for Takaichi’s victory this week.
But as prime minister, Takaichi will have to address challenges ranging from Japan’s cost-of-living crisis to the effects of U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war and the country’s long-term security concerns about China and North Korea. The LDP is also reeling from a major corruption scandal.
Experts say he will also need to soften some of his harsher edges if he wants to remain in power or face a no-confidence vote by the legislature in the near future.
