Overview

• Takaichi, 64, defeated Shinjiro Koizumi in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party leadership race after Shigeru Ishiba’s resignation.
• Parliament is expected to vote on 15 October to formally select the next prime minister, a process the LDP is well placed to control.
• She campaigned on tax cuts, higher subsidies, aggressive fiscal spending and criticism of recent Bank of Japan rate hikes.
• Takaichi has suggested revisiting parts of a U.S.–Japan investment agreement reached under President Donald Trump if it is judged to harm Japan’s interests.
• Her hardline views, including past visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, could strain ties with China and South Korea, even as she pledges to boost women’s representation in cabinet on a merit basis.