October 4 was a historic day for Japanese politics. Takaichi Sanae, Japan’s former minister for economic security, won the presidential election of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to become the first female president in the party’s history. She is now poised to make history again and become the first female prime minister of Japan when the Diet resumes, breaking the ultimate glass ceiling in Japanese politics.
Her victory on Saturday defied everyone’s expectations. Analysts in Japan across the political spectrum expected Koizumi Shinjiro, the articulate and charismatic son of popular former Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro, to succeed Ishiba Shigeru. His victory would have been epoch-making in its own right, as he would have been the youngest leader in LDP history.
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