News - Japan is set for its first female prime minister.

Sanae Takaichi, a hard-line conservative Japanese lawmaker, won a critical leadership vote on Saturday, putting her on track to become Japan’s first female prime minister, a milestone in a country where women are vastly underrepresented in politics. Ms. Takaichi, 64, emerged as the winner of an election by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party after two rounds of voting by lawmakers and rank-and-file members. She will succeed Shigeru Ishiba, Japan’s prime minister, who announced last month his intent to resign after less than a year in office, with his party being battered in the past two elections that saw it become a minority in both houses of the parliament, known as the Diet. Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.