Japanese residents are hoping for adequate solutions to social problems, including economic issues and the aging population, after former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi won Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election on Saturday.
The Saturday victory makes her likely to become Japan's first female prime minister.
"This marks a new development trend in Japanese politics. Regarding her future governance policies, I hope she would prioritize economic issues, and could properly manage Japan's relations with the United States and China, which is of great importance," said a resident in Tokyo.
"I'm from Akita Prefecture, where the issues of low number of births and the aging population continue to worsen. And some schools now have only one class of students. I hope she would pay close attention to this problem," said a man from Akita.
"There are many aspects where I hope she could make improvements. She is not in office yet, so honestly, it's still unclear what will happen," said another resident.
LDP parliamentarians cast 295 votes in the first round of voting, while another 295 votes were allotted to rank-and-file members. Takaichi, who took the lead with 183 votes in the first round, entered the runoff with Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who won 164 votes.
In the runoff voting, the LDP lawmakers cast the same number of votes, but the rank-and-file members' votes were reduced to one for each of the LDP's 47 prefectural chapters. Takaichi secured 185 votes in the round, winning over Koizumi, who received 156 votes.
This marks Takaichi's third bid for the party leadership after previous defeats in 2021 and 2024. Her victory makes it the first time a woman has won the presidency of Japan's long-dominant ruling party.
Following the election, the parliament is scheduled to hold a vote for the designation of a prime minister in mid-October.
Even though the ruling bloc has failed to secure a majority in both chambers of parliament, the new leader is almost certain to become the country's next prime minister since the LDP remains the largest party.
This year's election comes amid new challenges for the LDP. The number of eligible voting members has dropped to about 915,600, down more than 140,000 from the previous contest.
Complicating matters further, whoever becomes the new party leader must navigate the difficulties of minority governance, mend factional divides, and regain public trust.
Years of sluggish growth, rising prices and a sharp depreciation of the yen have weighed heavily on the public, and the LDP's twin defeats have left its leadership under closer scrutiny.
Residents hope for solutions to social problems after Takaichi elected LDP leader
