STORY: Hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi was formally nominated as Japan's first female prime minister on Tuesday (October 21) after winning votes in parliament's both lower house and upper house.

An acolyte of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and an admirer of Britain's Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi received 237 votes in the lower house election to choose the next premier, topping the majority of the 465-seat chamber, while in the upper house election she won 125 votes in the run-off against Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party.

Her victory shatters the glass ceiling in a country where men still hold overwhelming sway and puts Japan, a close U.S. ally, on a forceful shift to the right.

The nomination happened one day after her Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed Japan for most of its postwar history, agreed to a coalition deal with the right-wing Japan Innovation Party, known as Ishin.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: SANAE TAKAICHI BEING ELECTED AS JAPAN'S NEW PRIME MINISTER AT LOWER HOUSE PARLIAMENTARY SESSION / LAWMAKERS VOTING / SOUNDBITES FROM LOWER HOUSE SPEAKER FUKUSHIRO NUKAGA

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: TOKYO, JAPAN (OCTOBER 21, 2025) (JAPAN POOL - No use Japan)

1. LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY (LDP) LEADER SANAE TAKAICHI REACTING AND BOWING AS VOTING RESULT BEING READ OUT

TOKYO, JAPAN (OCTOBER 21, 2025) (NTV / JAPAN - Broadcast: No use Japan / Cannot re-use after 30 days from transmission without permission from Nippon

TV. Digital: No use Japan / Cannot re-use after 30 days from transmission without permission from NTV.)

2. (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPAN’S LOWER HOUSE SPEAKER, FUKUSHIRO NUKAGA, SAYING:

“In accordance with Article 18, Paragraph 2 of the rules of the House of Representatives, Sanae Takaichi is hereby nominated as Prime Minister of Japan.”

TOKYO, JAPAN (OCTOBER 21, 2025) (JAPAN POOL - No use Japan)

3. TAKAICHI STANDING UP, BOWING AND SITTING DOWN AS OTHER LAWMAKERS CLAPPING HANDS

TOKYO, JAPAN (OCTOBER 21, 2025) (NTV / JAPAN - Broadcast: No use Japan / Cannot re-use after 30 days from transmission without permission from Nippon

TV. Digital: No use Japan / Cannot re-use after 30 days from transmission without permission from NTV.)

4. LAWMAKERS CLAPPING HANDS

5. JAPAN’S LOWER HOUSE SPEAKER FUKUSHIRO NUKAGA ENTERING ROOM AND SITTING DOWN

6. LAWMAKER CHANTING TO MARK THE BEGINNING OF PARLIAMENTARY SESSION

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPAN’S LOWER HOUSE SPEAKER, FUKUSHIRO NUKAGA, SAYING:

“We will now begin to vote for the nomination of Prime Minister.”

8. LAWMAKERS WALKING TO STAGE TO CAST VOTE

9. BALLOTS BEING PUT INTO BOX

10. FORMER PRIME MINISTER SHIGERU ISHIBA CASTING BALLOT

11. LDP LAWMAKER SHINJIRO KOIZU MI CASTING BALLOT

12. VOTING IN PROGRESS

13. LEADER OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY FOR THE PEOPLE, YUICHIRO TAMAKI, AND OTHER LAWMAKERS VOTING

14. VOTING IN PROGRESS

15. CO-HEAD OF JAPAN INNOVATION PARTY FUMITAKE FUJITA CASTING BALLOT

16. PARLIAMENT SESSION IN PROGRESS

17. CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADER, YOSHIHIKO NODA, CASTING BALLOT

18. LAWMAKERS IN PARLIAMENT

19. TAKAICHI WALKING ONTO STAGE TO VOTE

TOKYO, JAPAN (OCTOBER 21, 2025) (JAPAN POOL - No use Japan)

20. TAKAICHI CASTING BALLOT AND WALKING AWAY

TOKYO, JAPAN (OCTOBER 21, 2025) (NTV / JAPAN - Broadcast: No use Japan / Cannot re-use after 30 days from transmission without permission from Nippon

TV. Digital: No use Japan / Cannot re-use after 30 days from transmission without permission from NTV.)

21. VARIOUS OF OFFICIALS COUNTING BALLOTS