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Sanae Takaichi retains her position as Japan's 1st female premier

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi retained her position as the country's first female premier after her ruling party's landslide victory in snap elections, securing a super majority in the lower house.

Anadolu Agency ASIA
Published February 18,2026
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Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday retained her position as the country's first female premier after parliament reelected her following her ruling party's landslide victory in the recent snap elections.

Takaichi won a majority vote in both the lower and upper houses of the bicameral parliament as Japan's 105th prime minister, according to the state broadcaster NHK.

The election was due after Japan held snap general elections on Feb. 8, giving Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) a super majority in the lower house, the first time in the post-World War II era.

Early Tuesday, Takaichi's Cabinet resigned en masse, a constitutional requirement before the formation of a new government.

She is expected to reappoint most of her current ministers, with a list to be released later in the day.

Takaichi, 64, was elected the first female prime minister of Japan last October after she won the LDP leadership race.

She called for snap elections within four months of her time in office.