A Trump visit, a creaking coalition and a cost-of-living crisis: Japan's new PM needs a fast start

"It is hard to overstate the symbolism of Sanae Takaichi's achievement on Tuesday in becoming the first female prime minister of Japan, a country that consistently ranks poorly in global gender equality comparisons, not least in politics and business. However, she will have precious little time to savour her historic appointment. Takaichi is expected to make good on promises to appoint a cabinet with Nordic levels of women, but the challenges of office loom large as Japan's fifth prime minister in as many years attempts to revive the fortunes of the ruling Liberal Democratic party (LDP) with the support of an inexperienced junior coalition partner."

"Takaichi's domestic in-tray includes a cost-of-living crisis and growing disquiet over migration, which many see as the only viable solution to Japan's looming demographic crisis. Her diplomatic skills will come under scrutiny next week when Donald Trump arrives in Tokyo for a two-day visit; and she will have barely drawn breath before she makes her international debut at the Apec summit in South Korea."

"When she secured the LDP presidency earlier this month, Takaichi inherited a deeply divided party struggling to remove the taint of a long-running funding scandal and, after seven decades of almost uninterrupted rule, a severely weakened position in both houses of parliament. Despite internal calls for the LDP to change or suffer yet more pain at the ballot box, Takaichi's successful bid to replace the outgoing Shigeru Ishiba as the party's president looked more like a battle for supremacy between the party's liberal and conservative wings than the dawn of a new era in Japanese politics."

Sanae Takaichi became the first female prime minister of Japan. She must quickly form a cabinet with high female representation while managing immediate pressures. Japan faces a cost-of-living crisis and growing public unease over migration as a potential response to its demographic decline. Takaichi will host a visit by Donald Trump and will attend the Apec summit in South Korea, testing her diplomatic abilities. She inherited a deeply divided Liberal Democratic party weakened by a long-running funding scandal and diminished positions in both houses of parliament. She lost the long-standing support of Komeito and sought backing from Nippon Ishin.

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