Sanae Takaichi poised to become Japan's first woman PM as vote set for October 21

Japan’s lower house scheduling committee has agreed to hold a parliamentary vote on October 21 to select the country’s next prime minister, a senior committee member told Reuters on Friday.

The date was proposed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), led by its new leader, Sanae Takaichi. Opposition parties had initially objected, citing ongoing coalition negotiations.

Takaichi is a senior member of the LDP, having previously served as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications. She won the party leadership following the resignation of former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and is in line to become Japan’s first female prime minister if she secures parliamentary support.

The LDP is in talks with the right-leaning Japan Innovation Party (JIP) to secure a majority vote. Several diplomatic events are scheduled for later this month, including international summits in Malaysia and South Korea, as well as an anticipated visit by US President Donald Trump to Japan.

The parliamentary vote in Japan’s lower house on October 21 will be a decisive moment, as it will determine whether Sanae Takaichi can gather sufficient support from coalition partners and opposition lawmakers to successfully form a stable government and officially assume office as the country’s next prime minister.

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