Japan’s Thatcher-inspired Takaichi aims for PM despite gender gap

Japan could soon see its first female prime minister, with Sanae Takaichi emerging among the front runners in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership race, a significant achievement in a country where women leaders remain a rarity.
Hardline conservative Takaichi has consistently been a public favourite, along with Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, ahead of the LDP’s leadership vote on October 4. Last year, Takaichi narrowly lost to outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the…