Confirmed! The First Female Prime Minister in Japanese History Has Been Born, What Will Takahashi Hayato Bring?
According to Global Times on October 21, Takahashi Hayato was elected as the Prime Minister of Japan in the House of Representatives' prime ministerial designation election, becoming the first female prime minister in Japanese history.
As a representative figure of the conservative faction of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Takahashi's ascension to power was achieved based on a coalition agreement with the Japan Innovation Party.
This political restructuring began when Ishiba Shigeru resigned due to a collapse in public support. With no prominent competitors within the party, Takahashi was able to take over with an hawkish stance.
Notably, although she broke the male-dominated political structure in Japan, she does not represent progressive or reformist forces, but rather a more pronounced nationalistic conservative approach.
Takahashi Hayato has been active in politics for many years, serving as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and Minister of Economic Security, and has always been seen as a loyal successor to the Abe Shinzo line.
She has long advocated for constitutional revision, supporting the explicit inclusion of the Self-Defense Forces' status in the constitution, and promoting Japan's normalization as a regular country.
She has also visited the Yasukuni Shrine multiple times, openly questioned the Tokyo Trial and the post-war system, and frequently made strong statements against China.
In terms of foreign relations, Takahashi emphasizes strengthening the U.S.-Japan alliance while advocating a tough yet restrained strategy toward China, and has clear positions on issues such as the Taiwan Strait, maritime sovereignty, and technological security.
The election of Takahashi is undoubtedly symbolic, but whether she can maintain power in the long term still depends on how she deals with practical challenges. Japan currently faces structural difficulties, and the LDP has various factions within it, which may not necessarily support her hardline approach.
If she insists too much on ideology and external toughness, she may end up repeating the fate of Abe's second term.
If Takahashi fails to bring about substantial changes, the aura of being the first female prime minister will quickly fade.
Therefore, Takahashi is a product of both the conservative shift and symbolic reform in Japanese politics. Her emergence does not mean a turning point, but may instead completely push the LDP away.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1846566254977225/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.