Iron Lady of Tokyo takes the reins as Japan elects first female PM

Japan has elected its first female leader, the conservative firebrand Sanae Takaichi.

Her election follows three months of behind-the-scenes wrangling, which has seen the ruling Liberal Democratic Party looking for new coalition partners after a disastrous election in July.

Takaichi stormed to victory with 237 votes, with her nearest opponent languishing on 149. She stood and bowed to the members of Japan's lower house, which elected the Prime Minister, as the result was announced.

She now sits atop an uneasy alliance of other right wing parties, formed of the Osaka-based Japan Innovation Party and the Ishin no Kai group, shoring up her majority in the face of a fractured opposition.

Takaichi becomes the first female Prime Minister ever in the country's long history, and her victory will see the Liberal Democratic Party continue a 64-year long uninterrupted streak at the top of Japan’s political food chain.

An admirer of Margaret Thatcher, she has been referred to as ‘The Iron Lady of Tokyo’.

Described by national media as an ‘ultraconservative’, she has courted controversy over her regular visits at the Yasukini Shrine, a historic site that is seen by China, North and South Korea, and other Asian countries, as glorifying Japan's wartime history.

She has long called for a strong armed forces in Japan, and is viewed internationally as a ‘China Hawk’, meaning she is cautious of rising Chinese influence in the region. In a recent visit to Taiwan, she called the country an "extremely important partner and cherished friend”.

The Prime Minister positioned herself on a platform of growing the economy, promoting nuclear power, and clamping down on immigration. In the past she has opposed same sex marriage, and opposed female succession to the Japanese throne.

Ms Takaichi is a member of the organisation Nippon Kaigi, a conservative pressure group which pushes for Japan to rearm so it can “counterbalance China, North Korea, Russia, and other hostile powers”.

She is also reportedly an extremely hard worker, and as a student was a drummer in a heavy metal band. Takaichi once asked fellow politicians to “work like a horse”.

In a country where only 15 per cent of political positions are held by women, her election marks a significant change in Japanese politics.