In the western Japanese city of Nara, several hometown friends and supporters of Sanae Takaichi, who is set to become the country's first female prime minister, shared a softer side to the hardline conservative, who cites Margaret Thatcher as her hero.

Nara

In Nara, Japan, residents are expressing pride and high expectations as Sanae Takahichi prepares to become the nation's first female prime minister. Takahichi, recently elected as the first woman president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is anticipated to receive parliamentary approval for her premiership.

Community members recall Takahichi's leadership and kindness from her school days, while local supporters highlight her attention to people and hope she will address Japan's economic and security challenges. Takahichi's rise is seen as a significant moment for both her hometown and the country.

Hometown brimming with pride, high hopes for Japan's 'Iron Lady'

In the historic city of Nara, temples dot the skyline, and sacred deer roam parks. This is the hometown of Sanae Takahichi, who is set to become Japan's first female prime minister. The Tokushimada, Takahichi's childhood friend and primary school classmate, believes this environment built the foundation for Takahichi's own conservative values and nationalist pride. Nara is the place where sites connected to the composition of classical Japanese poetry are really everywhere. So I've always felt this kind of old-fashioned, traditional beauty of Japan all around me. I think I'm like Takahichi, too, growing up with that kind of sentiment and feeling proud of it. I believe that's really the foundation of who she is. In Takahichi's constituency office, a massive mound of congratulatory flowers partially blocked the entrance. It built up after she was elected as the first woman president of the country's ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Dubbed Japan's Iron Lady, she is expected to win approval for her premiership from parliament later this month. But for Shimada, the Iron Lady has a soft side. We went to take the exam together that time. When I mentioned that I had forgotten my lunch, Sanae Takahichi said, let's share mine, and opened up her lunch box and offered it to me. Because she said that, another girl also suggested we share hers as well. So at that moment, Takahichi really showed leadership. The three of us ended up sharing two lunches, and thanks to that, I passed the high school entrance exam. I am truly grateful for that. This salon has a haircut named after the LDP's new boss. Yukitoshi Arai, Takahichi's former hairdresser, dubbed it the Sanae Cut, and says it's a hairstyle that shows she's paying attention to people. This hairstyle is the base cut for Ms. Takahichi. Technically, it's called a graduated bob. It has a sleek, sharp, and stylish look. The sides are long, but she deliberately tucks them behind her ears as a way of showing that she listens carefully to other people. In this style, where it's meant to be seen and noticed, that's what we call the Sanae Cut. Arai said Takahichi's last appointment was four years ago, but he hopes that his star client will soon return. He also expressed hope that Takahichi would fix Japan's economy when she steps into the position of prime minister. For Japanese people, our underlying problem is really the economy. There's a strong desire for solid economic policies that make daily life more affordable and comfortable because everything is so expensive now. So we'd like to see policies that can ease that burden, and the same goes for taxes. Then there's the global sense of fear, security concerns, really. I think that's Ms. Takahichi's area of expertise, but from that perspective, too, I hope Japan can be made into a safe, secure, and livable country.

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Cairo

Middle East Conflict

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Breakdown