TOKYO – Japan is on the verge of appointing its first female prime minister, as the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Japan Innovation Party (Ishin) have agreed to form a coalition government, according to Kyodo News on Sunday.
Under the agreement, Sanae Takaichi, leader of the ruling conservative LDP, will become prime minister, with Ishin head Hirofumi Yoshimura expected to sign the deal on Monday. Ishin lawmakers are set to vote for Takaichi in parliament’s leadership election on Tuesday, but the party will not join her cabinet immediately, Kyodo reported.
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This arrangement falls short of a full partnership like the one the LDP held with Komeito for 26 years. Komeito’s recent exit has raised questions about the new government’s stability. Ishin’s co-leader Fumitake Fujita said Friday that talks had made “big progress,” expressing optimism for cooperation. To secure Ishin’s backing, the LDP offered to advance bans on corporate donations and sales tax exemptions on food, policies long supported by Ishin.
Takaichi, a fiscal dove, supports tax cuts and higher public spending to protect consumers from inflation. She has also criticised the Bank of Japan’s rate hikes and advocates revising Japan’s pacifist constitution to formally recognise the military’s role. Known for her conservative views, Takaichi frequently visits the Yasukuni Shrine, which honours Japan’s war dead — including some convicted war criminals — a gesture that often stirs controversy among Japan’s neighbours.
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Takaichi’s election as LDP president earlier this month positioned her as the natural successor to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who is stepping down. If confirmed, she will make history as Japan’s first woman prime minister, marking a major milestone in the country’s political history.