FIRST WOMAN PM
Why The World Is Watching Japan’s Historic Leadership Transition – OpEd
Japan's Sanae Takaichi. Photo Credit: Japan PM Office, Wikipedia Commons
By Arab News
By Andrew Hammond
Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party leadership election has been extensively viewed, domestically. However, the wider world has also been watching the crucial contest closely too, not least G7 allies in the West given the importance of Tokyo to this club of industrialized nations.
The word historic is often overused, but this contest genuinely met that high benchmark. This is not least because the victor Sanae Takaichi, announced on Saturday, is now widely expected to become the nation’s first female prime minister.
As the LDP and coalition partner Komeito have recently lost their majority in both houses of parliament, which has increased the risk of political instability in Tokyo, new LDP leader Takaichi will need to win, with agreement from legislators of other parties, a vote to secure the premiership.
The stage would then be set for a potential snap general election. Or a potential new coalition, or a looser arrangement that would allow a minority government to secure the support of one or more other parties on confidence votes and the budget.
Important as this leadership transition is for Japan, the wider world is watching events closely in Tokyo too. This includes long-standing allies in the Americas and Europe who have an increasingly close relationship with the Asian economic giant.
Since the end of the Second World War, the transformation of Tokyo’s world role has stemmed, in part, from its phenomenal postwar business success, which led to growing calls for it to match its economic power with commitment to international relations too. Today, Japan remains one of the world’s three largest economies, and it will be critical to helping drive a new wave of global, sustainable growth in coming years.
Japan is also a key member not only of the G7, but also the US-led Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) with Australia and India too. While this forum began as a security-driven initiative, commerce and industry ministers now meet and the agenda includes health security, food security, clean energy, and quality infrastructure.
On the economic front, Tokyo and Washington agreed in July a tariff deal that sees a 15 percent levy on Japanese goods in exchange for a $550 billion package of US-bound investments and loans.
In Europe too, the longstanding partnership with Japan has assumed greater importance. The EU and Japan recently held their 30th annual summit in July, attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
At the big event, the two powers launched a new Competitiveness Alliance focused on trade, green and digital innovation, plus economic security. Priorities include strengthening supply chains for raw materials and batteries, regulatory cooperation, and joint industrial efforts in hydrogen, liquified natural gas, offshore wind, and semiconductors.
The new competitiveness initiative stems from the broader deepening of Japan-EU economic ties under the bilateral Economic Partnership Agreement, or EPA, plus other forums such as the EU-Japan Green Alliance, the Partnership on Sustainable Connectivity and Infrastructure, and the bilateral Digital Partnership. EU firms already export about 70 billion euros in goods and 28 billion euros in services to Japan annually, and bilateral trade has increased significantly since 2019.
As part of the new competitiveness alliance, Japan and Europe agreed to intensify their collaboration against “economic coercion” and “unfair trade practices.” Von der Leyen highlighted growing geoeconomic challenges and geopolitical tensions, from Ukraine to the Asia Pacific.
Europe and Japan have, potentially, significant shared weight together on this agenda with their collective economies accounting for about a fifth of global GDP and a market of about 600 million people.
Von der Leyen highlighted that the next steps on the EPA were discussed at the Sixth EU-Japan High Level Economic Dialogue last May. This forum pledged to deepen cooperation in areas such as trade, supply chain transparency, diversification, security; sustainability, trustworthiness, reliability and resilience, promotion and protection of critical and emerging technologies, industrial policy, plus investment promotion.
While no European countries are part of the Quad, many regional politicians increasingly see the relationship with Japan in a broader strategic context. This is a key change from when relationships in the past were centered around economics.
Ishiba’s predecessor, Fumio Kishida, was the first Japanese prime minister to attend a NATO leadership meeting. There is speculation too about Tokyo being invited into wider Western intelligence forums such as the “Five Eyes” alliance of the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
A good example of this deepening security relationship is the 2023 UK-Japan Reciprocal Access Agreement, which is the most significant defense agreement between the powers since 1902. The deal allows UK and Japanese armed forces to be deployed in one another’s countries. It builds from the post-Brexit UK-Japan trade deal, and the UK’s entry into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, which accounts for well over 10 percent of global trade and has a combined population of about 500 million.
Tokyo and Brussels also announced that a new Defense Industry Dialogue will be launched in 2026. This will promote collaboration on advanced and dual-use technologies with broader cooperation spanning areas including cybersecurity, maritime, and space security.
These developments show the wisdom of Western decision-makers, back in the mid-1970s, when Japan was formally brought into the G7 club. A similar far-sighted, strategic approach is now needed around a half century later in the very different context of the mid-2020s.
One example is von der Leyen’s hopes of deeper EU trade cooperation with CPTPP. The Japanese government was one of the strongest supporters of UK accession to this economic club, and Tokyo is keen for closer EU engagement with the bloc.
Taken together, this is why Japan’s Western allies are closely watching the leadership transition in Tokyo. A new era of cooperation is hoped for, but the risk of further political instability is recognized.
- Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.
Arab News is Saudi Arabia's first English-language newspaper. It was founded in 1975 by Hisham and Mohammed Ali Hafiz. Today, it is one of 29 publications produced by Saudi Research & Publishing Company (SRPC), a subsidiary of Saudi Research & Marketing Group (SRMG).
Reuters
Sat, October 4, 2025
Sanae Takaichi, the newly elected leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), poses in the party leader's office after the LDP leadership election in Tokyo, Japan, October 4, 2025. Conservative Sanae Takaichi hailed a "new era" on October 4 after winning the leadership of Japan's ruling party, putting her on course to become the country's first woman prime minister.
(Reuters) -Sanae Takaichi is likely to be Japan's first female prime minister after winning the race to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Saturday.
A former economic security internal affairs minister, a conservative nationalist with an expansionary agenda, is expected to replace Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba since the LDP is the largest group in parliament.
Here are some reactions from around the world:
TAIWAN PRESIDENT LAI CHING-TE, PARTY STATEMENT
"Lai Ching-te extends his most sincere and warmest congratulations to the new (LDP) President Takaichi... Takaichi is a steadfast friend of Taiwan. (Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party) and the LDP have long maintained friendly and deep-rooted relations. It is hoped that under the leadership of (LDP) President Takaichi, Taiwan and Japan can deepen their partnership in areas such as economic trade, security, and technological cooperation, further advancing Taiwan-Japan relations to a new stage."
CHINA'S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, SPOKESPERSON'S OFFICE, STATEMENT:
"We have noted the election result, which is Japan's internal affairs. We hope that Japan will adhere to the principles and consensus of the four China-Japan political documents, honour its political commitments on major issues such as history and Taiwan, pursue a positive and rational policy toward China and fully implement its position to comprehensively promote a strategic and mutually beneficial relationship."
U.S. AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN, GEORGE GLASS, ON X:
"My congratulations to @takaichi_sanae on becoming the 29th president of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party and the party’s first female leader. I look forward to working with her to strengthen and grow the partnership on every front."
ISRAEL'S AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN, GILAD COHEN, ON X:
"Congratulations to Sanae Takaichi, newly elected President of the LDP and the party’s first female leader! I am confident that under your leadership, the ties between Israel and Japan will continue to grow stronger. Looking forward to fruitful and successful cooperation ahead."
(Compiled by Global News Desk)
Sanae Takaichi set to become Japan’s first female prime minister
Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press
Sat, October 4, 2025
Japan’s governing party has elected former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi as its new leader, making her likely to become the country’s first female prime minister.
In a country that ranks poorly internationally for gender equality, Ms Takaichi would make history as the first female leader of Japan’s long-governing conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
She is one of the most conservative members of the male-dominated party.
Sanae Takaichi speaks during the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) leadership election in Tokyo, Japan (Kyodo News via AP)
Ms Takaichi beat agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of popular former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, in a run-off in an intraparty vote by the LDP on Saturday.
She replaces prime minister Shigeru Ishiba as the party hopes to regain public support and stay in power after major election losses.
She is likely to be Japan’s next prime minister because the party remains by far the largest in the lower house, which determines the national leader, and because opposition groups are highly splintered.
The LDP, whose consecutive losses in parliamentary elections in the past year have left it in the minority in both houses, wants to select a leader who can quickly address challenges in and outside Japan, while seeking co-operation from key opposition groups to implement its policies.
Five candidates — two currently serving and three former ministers — were vying for the LDP presidency.
Saturday’s vote only involved 295 LDP parliamentarians and about one million dues-paying members.
Shinjiro Koizumi speaks during the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) leadership election in Tokyo, Japan (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Pool Photo via AP)
It only reflected 1% of the Japanese public.
What Japan’s First Female Prime Minister Means for the Country’s Gender Politics
Time
A parliamentary vote is expected in mid-October.
The LDP, which has been criticised by opposition leaders for creating a prolonged political vacuum, needs to hurry because the winner will soon face a diplomatic test: a possible summit with US President Donald Trump, who could demand that Japan increase its defence spending.
A meeting is reportedly being planned for late October when Mr Trump will travel to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea starting October 31.
The LDP also needs help from the opposition, which it has long neglected.
The party will likely look to expand its current coalition with the moderate centrist Komeito with at least one of the key opposition parties, which are more centrist.
Photos of candidates running for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership are displayed at the party’s headquarters in Tokyo (AP photo)
All five candidates have called themselves “moderate conservatives” to show their willingness to work with the opposition.
They all campaigned for measures to combat rising prices and achieve larger salary increases, to strengthen defence and the economy, and for tougher measures on foreign workers.
They stayed away from divisive liberal social issues such as gender equality and sexual diversi
Experts say they avoided discussing their usual political views on historical issues, same-sex marriage and other contentious topics, including the party’s political funds scandal, which was the biggest reason for their election losses, and anti-corruption measures.
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