Sanae Takaichi has won a historic vote to become Japan’s first female prime minister
The 64-year-old conservative is known as Japan’s “Iron Lady” – she’s an admirer of the UK’s former PM Margaret Thatcher.
This is her third attempt at becoming Japan’s leader, and she’s the fourth PM in five years from her scandal-hit party, the LDP – here’s why Japanese PMs change so often.
She belongs to the LDP’s hardline wing and is a protege of the late former PM Shinzo Abe.
Trump had earlier hailed her as a “highly respected person of great wisdom.”
Now that she’s elected, Takaichi’s challenges will include fixing a sluggish economy, navigating a rocky US-Japan relationship and uniting a divided ruling party.