Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s first woman PM
The Hindu
Japan PM Sanae Takaichi has won a landslide-victory in snap elections; who is Japan's first female leader?
Japan’s PM Sanae Takaichi won a landslide victory on Sunday (February 8, 2026) in a surprise snap election.
Her ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partners won a two-thirds majority in the 465-seat House of Representatives.
Ms. Takaichi, made headlines on October 21, 2025 and became the first woman leader of a country known for its male-dominated political landscape.
Here’s all you need to know about the Prime Minister.
Sanae Takaichi came into the political arena in Japan in 1993 as an independent candidate. But later joined the Liberal Democratic Party or the LDP and became a protege of the former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Ms. Takaichi has most notably served as the country’s Minister of Internal Affairs and Communication, a tenure marked with strict media regulations and enhancement of the country’s telecommunication infrastructure.
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