Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s first female PM, who cites Thatcher as an influence

Sanae Takaichi, the new leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic party, is the first woman to lead the country. Photograph: Yohei Fukai/AP

When candidates for the leadership of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic party (LDP) were invited during a debate to say a few words in English, Sanae Takaichi kept her contribution brief. “Japan is back,” she declared.

The 64-year-old rightwinger, who has cited Margaret Thatcher in her quest to build a “strong and prosperous” Japan, beat her centrist rival, Shinjiro Koizumi, in a runoff election at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo on 4 October.