Takaichi elected first woman PM of Japan

HARDLINE CONSERVATIVE SANAE Takaichi was elected Japan’s first female prime minister on Tuesday, shattering a political glass ceiling forwomen and setting the country up fora decisive turn to the right.

- MARIKO KATSUMURA & TIM KELLY

An acolyte of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and an admirer of Britain’s Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi is expected to return to Abe-style government stimulus as she attempts tojumpstartan economy struggling with slow growth and rising prices. Her victory marks a pivotal shift in acountry where men hold overwhelming sway, yet she named just two women to her cabinet, fewer than she had promised.