Sanae Takaichi, a hardline nationalist with outspoken views on national security, has entered the contest to succeed Yoshihide Suga as she aims to become Japan’s first female prime minister.
The former communications minister, who has been endorsed by Suga’s predecessor Shinzo Abe, is one of Japan’s few prominent female politicians. But she is a divisive figure who has frequently visited the contentious Yasukuni war shrine and pushed for constitutional reform to strengthen Japan’s military capabilities.
Launching her campaign on Tuesday, Takaichi said if she was chosen to succeed Suga as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic party (LDP) she would stick to the Abenomics programme of her predecessors, which relies on aggressive monetary and fiscal stimulus.