Japan’s first female Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, has led the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to a historic election victory. On February 8, the LDP secured 316 out of 465 seats, marking the first time since 1947 that a single party has held such a supermajority in the lower house. Including their coalition partner, the total seat count reached 352.
Takaichi, a former cabinet minister and TV host, once played drums in a heavy metal band and is a well-known car enthusiast whose Toyota Supra is now displayed in a museum. Her political outlook was forged in the 1980s while working in the U.S. Congress, where she concluded that Japan must be capable of defending itself to avoid being at the mercy of international public opinion.
Ardahan newspaper
