Japan has its first female prime minister. Sanae Takaichi, 64, was elected as the country's 104th prime minister. She won 237 votes in Japan's parliament. Her opponent won 149 votes. Ms Takaichi takes over from former leader Shigeru Ishiba. He was in power for a year. To get enough votes to win the election, Takaichi made an alliance with a right-wing party. She has a difficult job ahead of her. Japanese people are unhappy about rising food prices, job security, and a falling birth rate. They are also worried about how to care for the growing number of old people.

Sanae Takaichi has had an interesting life. At university, she played drums in a rock band. She supports the Gamba Osaka soccer team and the Hanshin Tigers baseball team. She also had a powerful Kawasaki Z400 motorbike. In 1987, Takaichi moved to the USA. She wrote books about American politics. In 1989, she worked as a TV anchor. Women hope Takaichi's background means she will support gender equality and diversity. However, she does not support same-sex marriage. She also opposes allowing separate surnames for married couples.