Overview

• U.S. President Donald Trump publicly congratulated Takaichi on Truth Social, hailing her as Japan’s first female prime minister even though her formal investiture still awaits a Diet vote later this month.
• Takaichi needs parliamentary support to be elected prime minister after recent setbacks left the LDP and its Komeito partner short of outright control in both chambers.
• A conservative aligned with Shinzo Abe’s agenda, she backs revising the pacifist constitution, strengthening defense, and reviving Abenomics-style stimulus.
• Severe fiscal constraints frame her policy room, with public debt near 235% of GDP and a large share of bonds held by the Bank of Japan alongside persistent cost-of-living pressures.
• Early diplomatic signals point to warmer ties with Taiwan and a cooler reception from Beijing as she prepares to engage closely with the United States.