Japan’s Parliament Elects Sanae Takaichi as Next Prime Minister

Takaichi replaces Shigeru Ishiba, who resigned with his Cabinet earlier in the day.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Sanae Takaichi stands up to acknowledge the applause after she was selected as Japan's new prime minister during an extraordinary session of the lower house of parliament in Tokyo on Oct. 21, 2025. Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images

Japan’s parliament on Oct. 21 elected Sanae Takaichi, head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), as the new prime minister, making her the first woman to assume the office.

Takaichi received 237 votes in the lower house of parliament, defeating Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, who only garnered 149 votes, according to The Japan Times.