Sanae Takaichi takes power
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The heavy-metal-loving, motorcycle-driving Sanae Takaichi (高市 早苗) was elected the first female prime minister of Japan on Tuesday. Wearing a blue suit jacket to reference U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi is expected to move the country further to the political right.
Takaichi, who is known to be an admirer of Britain's Margaret Thatcher, will get an early opportunity to meet President Donald Trump. They are both due to attend a meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in South Korea at the end of October, and they should find common cause on conservative issues such as immigration.
Sanae Takaichi, a fan of Iron Maiden, had an improbable rise to power. Like her mentor, Shinzo Abe, she is expected to lead Japan to the right.
Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first woman prime minister and Shinzo Abe’s protege, brings ultra-conservative views and bold policies to Tokyo’s top post.
Japan prepares to make Sanae Takaichi as Japan’s first Prime Minister, shaping a cabinet that balances rivals and allies. Assigning key roles to former opponents in a conservative cabinet marks a political renewal.