Japan got its first woman prime minister on Tuesday after Sanae Takaichi, a China hawk and social conservative, forged an 11th-hour coalition deal.
Japan’s fifth premier in as many years will lead a minority government and has a bulging in-tray, not least a scheduled visit by US President Donald Trump next week.
The lower house of parliament appointed Takaichi, an admirer of Margaret Thatcher, as prime minister on Tuesday, after she unexpectedly won a slim majority in a first round of voting.
Looking serious, the 64-year-old stood and bowed several times to lawmakers.
The upper house then voted in her favour, although in a runoff after Takaichi fell short of a majority. Takaichi will formally take office after meeting the emperor later.
The former heavy metal drummer became on October 4 head of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has governed almost non-stop for decades but is losing support.
Six days later, the Komeito party, uncomfortable about Takaichi’s conservative views and an LDP slush fund scandal, quit their coalition.
This forced Takaichi to form an alliance with the reformist, right-leaning Japan Innovation Party (JIP), which was signed on Monday evening.
JIP wants to lower the consumption tax rate on food to zero, abolish corporate and organisational donations, and reduce the number of MPs.
Takaichi pledged Monday to “make Japan’s economy stronger and reshape Japan as a country that can be responsible for future generations”.
“She’s a strong-minded person, regardless of being a woman,” pensioner Toru Takahashi, 76, told AFP in Takaichi’s hometown of Nara.
“She’s not like Trump. But she’s clear about what’s right and wrong,” he said.
