Takaichi Elected Japan’s 1st Female Prime Minister, Names Appointees to Cabinet Posts

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:57 JST, October 21, 2025

Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi was named the new prime minister Tuesday at plenary sessions of both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors in an extraordinary Diet session convened on the day. She became the first female prime minister in Japan’s constitutional history and was to form the 104th Cabinet on the night.

The LDP has agreed to form a coalition government with the Japan Innovation Party.

Takaichi assigned former regional revitalization minister Satsuki Katayama, 66, as finance minister, and upper house lawmaker Kimi Onoda, 42, as economic security minister.

Ryosei Akazawa, 64, who served as economic revitalization minister in the administration of now former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, is to serve as economy, trade and industry minister.

Takaichi assigned former State Minister of Justice Hiroshi Hiraguchi, 77, as justice minister; former State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yohei Matsumoto, 52, as education, culture, sports, science and technology minister; and former State Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Norikazu Suzuki, 43, as agriculture minister.

Former State Minister of Cabinet Office Hitoshi Kikawada, 55, was appointed measures for declining birthrate minister, and the upper house’s Rules and Administration Committee Chairman Takao Makino, 66, was appointed reconstruction minister.

“With extraordinary flexibility, we will resolutely move forward on matters that serve the country and its people,” Takaichi said Tuesday morning at a general meeting of LDP Diet members from both houses regarding the coalition with the JIP.

Takaichi secured 237 votes in the lower house, surpassing the majority threshold of 233 votes and was chosen prime minister on the first ballot. Other votes went to Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda with 149 votes, Democratic Party for People leader Yuichiro Tamaki with 28 votes, Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito with 24 votes and others.

In the subsequent first round of voting in the upper house, Takaichi got 123 votes, falling just short of the 124 majority, leading to a runoff vote. In the runoff, Takaichi secured 125 votes, achieving a majority, to be elected prime minister by that house. Noda received 46 votes.

The launch of Takaichi’s Cabinet will follow an Imperial investiture — in which the Emperor appoints the prime minister as designated by the Diet — and a ministerial attestation ceremony at the Imperial Palace.

The LDP signed an agreement Monday with the JIP to form a coalition government, whereby the LDP’s partner has now changed from Komeito to the JIP. The JIP join the ruling party framework in areas such as Diet operations but will provide support from outside the Cabinet, without sending its party members to ministerial posts for a time being.

The two parties will prioritize areas specified in the agreement. They will establish a working-level deliberative body to tackle immediate measures, such as coping with high prices, cutting the consumption tax rate on food to zero and realizing the JIP’s flagship “second capital” initiative that would serve as a substitute for the Tokyo metropolitan area in time of disaster.

The combined strength of the LDP-JIP coalition still does not add up to a majority of seats in either chamber of the Diet. Building a stable governing foundation and steering the new coalition government will be key challenges.

In other appointments to the Takaichi Cabinet, Minoru Kihara, 56, will serve as chief cabinet secretary, a key position; Toshimitsu Motegi, 70, as foreign minister; Shinjiro Koizumi, 44, as defense minister; and Yoshimasa Hayashi, 64, as internal affairs and communications minister.

Takaichi, who had sought the JIP’s cooperation in her Cabinet, appointed JIP Diet affairs committee chairman Takashi Endo, 57, as a special advisor to the prime minister. Endo will handle liaison between the JIP and the Prime Minister’s Office.

The current extraordinary Diet session is expected to last 58 days until on Dec. 17. The LDP has proposed to the opposition parties that Takaichi deliver her policy address on Friday.