Sanae Takaichi (C) acknowledges her fellow lawmakers after being elected as the new prime minister during the general assembly of an extraordinary parliamentary session in Tokyo, Japan, on October 21, 2025. Photo by Franck Robichon/EPA
Oct. 21 (UPI) — Sanae Takaichi was elected prime minister of Japan on Tuesday, becoming the first woman to lead the country.
Japan’s House of Representatives announced in a statement that Takaichi had been “chosen by open ballot” during a plenary session on Tuesday.
Takaichi, the Liberal Democratic Party president, will be Japan’s 104th prime minister. The Japan Times reported that she received 237 votes to Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda‘s 149.
The vote was held after the cabinet of now-former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba resigned en masse Tuesday morning.
“To all citizens, I express my deepest gratitude for your understanding and cooperation, and I ask for your continued strong support for the next cabinet and new prime minister as they face domestic and international challenges ahead,” Ishiba said in a statement announcing the end of his coalition government.
Takaichi’s election was made nearly certain after her LDP agreed to form a new coalition government with the Japan Innovation Party on Monday night.
“We will work to realize policies that overcome domestic and international challenges, protect the livelihoods of the people and the peace of the nation and strongly advance Japan forward,” the LDP said Tuesday in a statement.
Ishiba announced his resignation in early September to prevent a split of his LDP following recent election defeats. Takaichi was then made the party leader.