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Sanae Takaichi elected: Japan's first female Prime Minister
Reporter : Lin Cuiyi / Tokyo, 21/10/2025 / https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/5218544 / Image : Japan's extraordinary Diet convened today for a vote on the nomination of prime minister. LDP President Sanae Takaichi secured a majority of 237 votes, becoming Japan's first female prime minister, by being nominated by the House of Representatives. (AFP)
Japan's extraordinary Diet convened today for a vote on the nomination of prime minister. LDP President Sanae Takaichi secured a majority of 237 votes, becoming Japan's first female prime minister, by being nominated by the House of Representatives. The House of Councillors' nomination vote will also be held later, but due to the overwhelmingly favorable results of the House of Representatives election, Takaichi is already confirmed as Japan's 104th Prime Minister. She will then form a cabinet after a ceremony personally appointed by the Imperial Palace, and the new cabinet will officially take effect in the evening.
Takaichi, 64, a native of Nara Prefecture, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1993. She has served in key cabinet positions, including Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and Minister of Economic Affairs and Security. In 2021, with the support of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, she ran for the LDP general election for the first time. After losing, she was appointed Chairperson of the party's Policy Research Council. Last year, she returned to the race and, although she won first place in the first round of voting, was defeated by Shigeru Ishiba in the second round.
This year, she ran for the third time. With the support of party veteran Taro Aso, she ultimately broke the alliance between Shinjiro Koizumi and two former Prime Ministers, Yoshihide Suga and Fumio Kishida, and became LDP president.
Upon taking office, Takaichi faced the unilateral withdrawal of the Komeito Party, with whom she had partnered for 26 years, from the ruling coalition. Fortunately, she found a new partner, the Japan Restoration Party, and the two parties signed a coalition government agreement yesterday. Overcoming the disadvantage of the Liberal Democratic Party's minority government, she was elected as the new Prime Minister today.
Image : Japan's extraordinary Diet convened today for a vote on the nomination of prime minister. LDP President Sanae Takaichi received a majority of 237 votes, becoming Japan's first female prime minister. (AFP)
Lin Chia-lung : Confidence in the policy of Sanae Takaichi
Reporter : Huang Jing'an / https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/paper/1729131 / Image : Sanae Takaichi has been officially elected Japan's first female Prime Minister. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung expressed his hope for close cooperation between Taiwan and Japan on economic security and the development of a democratic, non-red supply chain. Sanae Takaichi (center front row) poses for a photo with new cabinet members at the Prime Minister's Office on the 21st. (Bloomberg)
Sanae Takaichi has been officially elected as Japan's first female Prime Minister. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung expressed confidence and expectations in the new Japanese government's policy direction yesterday, and expressed his anticipation for close cooperation between Taiwan and Japan on areas such as economic security and the development of a democratic, non-red supply chain.
Looking for close cooperation on economic security
Regarding Taiwan-Japan relations, Lin Chia-lung stated that he has great confidence and expectations in the new Japanese government's policy direction. Since the days of former Prime Minister Abe, Sanae Takaichi's Indo-Pacific strategy has considered Taiwan an indispensable partner. He expressed his hope for close cooperation between Taiwan and Japan on areas such as economic security and the development of a democratic, non-red supply chain, and expressed his expectation for the Japanese government's support and assistance for Taiwan's participation in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Regarding diplomatic interactions, Lin Chia-lung noted that Sanae Takaichi has always been friendly to Taiwan, and that the two sides have excellent experience and communication channels. He expressed his hope for further strengthening of Taiwan-Japan relations and promoting comprehensive diplomacy, which will comprehensively enhance Taiwan-Japan relations in terms of values, alliance, and economic diplomacy.
Sanae Takaichi becomes Japan's first female Prime Minister. Who is the "First Gentleman"?
Editor : Xu Rui / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2025/10/22/a104031889.html / Image : Sanae Takaichi in the office of the Liberal Democratic Party President on 4 October 2025. (Yuichi Yamazaki - Pool/Getty Images)
Japan's first female Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, has attracted significant attention, and her husband, becoming Japan's first "First Gentleman," has naturally also attracted attention.
Sanae Takaichi's husband, 73-year-old Taku Yamamoto, has served in the Diet for eight terms. After Takaichi was elected Prime Minister, he told the media that he hoped to be "low-key" and support his wife behind the scenes. He said, "Unlike in Europe and the United States, it's best for the partners of Japanese politicians not to be too prominent."
Akio Yaita, CEO of the Indo-Pacific Strategic Think Tank and a veteran media personality, recounted on the X platform that after their marriage in 2004, their relationship was close, but their political ideologies differed significantly. In the 2012 LDP presidential election, Sanae Takaichi supported Shinzo Abe, while her husband supported Shigeru Ishiba. Furthermore, both were key figures in their respective campaigns, and to avoid leaking insider information from their respective camps, they both took their phones into the bathroom.
The two also had starkly different views on issues such as China policy and visits to the Yasukuni Shrine. To avoid arguments, they agreed not to discuss politics at home. Regarding this, Sanae Takaichi once jokingly said in a television interview, "I forgot to research each other's thoughts before we got married."
The two divorced in 2017, but when Sanae Takaichi first ran for the LDP presidency in 2021, she was frustrated at her inability to secure the required 20 Diet members to recommend her. Yamamoto Taku brought several close friends to support her. Soon after, the two remarried.
At the time, Yamamoto Taku told the media why he supported Takaichi, describing her as a "Yamato Nadeshiko," meaning a woman with traditional virtues and a strong heart. "Her hobbies are quite flashy (she enjoys drumming, riding motorcycles, etc.), but she's actually a very simple and serious person in her daily life," and "She's also very kind to her parents-in-law."
After Sanae Takaichi became prime minister, Yamamoto Taku told the media, "She studies harder than anyone else." Over the years, he watched Takaichi study and think tirelessly every day, ultimately succeeding in her challenge and becoming the first female prime minister in constitutional history.
This year, Yamamoto Taku fell ill with a stroke and needed Takaichi's help in his care. Yamamoto told the media that he would use his political experience to help his wife, and as a skilled cook, he would also support her through his meals.
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