Breaking barriers: Sanae Takaichi set to become Japan's first female PM

Tokyo (The Uttam Hindu): Saturday marked a new chapter in Japan's political history. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi as its new leader. With this historic victory, 64-year-old Takaichi is set to become Japan's first female prime minister.

The LDP president election was held today for the post that fell vacant after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba resigned on September 7. There were a total of five candidates in the contest, but the real competition was seen between Takaichi and Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. No candidate got a majority in the first round of voting, after which a runoff voting was held. In this decisive round, Takaichi defeated Shinjiro Koizumi, son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, and took over the leadership of the party.

Sanae Takaichi is considered an outspoken and conservative leader in Japan. She has advocated for amending Japan's pacifist constitution, increased security cooperation with Taiwan, and regularly visits the controversial Yasukuni Shrine. She has also presented an ambitious plan to double the country's economy over the next 10 years.

Takaichi's appointment as Prime Minister is also considered significant for India. She considers India a "special strategic partner" and has been pushing for further strengthening cooperation within the Quad and the Indo-Pacific region.

Takaichi will be sworn in as Prime Minister after a formal parliamentary vote in mid-October. Upon assuming office, he will face several major diplomatic challenges. The most important of these will be a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the APEC summit in South Korea in late October, where pressure could be exerted on Japan to increase defense spending.