Japan's parliament elected the country's first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, on Tuesday morning. CBS News foreign correspondent Anna Coren has more details.

Tokyo

Japan's parliament has elected Sanae Takaichi as the country's first female prime minister, ending a period of political uncertainty. Takaichi, a 64-year-old conservative and former protégé of Shinzo Abe, secured her position after her Liberal Democratic Party formed a coalition with the Japan Innovation Party. She has already made history by appointing a woman as finance minister, signaling a shift in the traditionally male-dominated Japanese political landscape.

Takaichi faces several challenges, including economic issues such as inflation and slow growth, as well as debates over immigration policy amid Japan's aging population. She is expected to take a more right-leaning stance, advocate for a stronger military, and tighten immigration controls. Her leadership will soon be tested on the international stage with upcoming meetings and summits.

Sanae Takaichi becomes Japan's first female prime minister

Now to this, Japan's parliament this morning elected the country's first female prime minister. 64-year-old conservative Sanai Takahichi is known as Japan's Iron Lady. Takahichi secured a majority in both the lower and upper houses of parliament, ending three months of political uncertainty. CBS News foreign correspondent Anna Karin is following this for us and joins us from Hong Kong with more. Good morning, Anna. So tell us about Takahichi and how she's expected to lead now. Well, Takahichi, she has shattered the glass ceiling in Japan, Errol, after winning that parliamentary vote today in what had become a rather drawn-out process. Now, what got across the line was that her ruling Liberal Democratic Party formed a new coalition with Japan Innovation Party. As you say, she's 64 years old, a conservative nationalist. She's a protege of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who, as you may remember, was assassinated in 2022. She is expected to lead Japan to the right. Now, she's already selected her cabinet and has appointed a woman to be her finance minister, another first for Japanese politics. What we are witnessing, really, is a major shift in the political landscape in what has always been a very male-dominated society. The Prime Minister, Errol, comes from humble beginnings, unlike many other political elite in Japan. An interesting fact about her, she was a heavy metal drummer, rode a motorbike in her youth, and I believe that Iron Maiden is one of her favourite bands. Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female Prime Minister, is one of her heroes, and she has proven that perseverance pays off. She secured the leadership of her party earlier this month, and that was after her third attempt. So I think the message there is that, really, you must never give up. And the heavy metal experience, as well as the bike, gives her a bit of edge, dare I say, like from her younger days. But what issues will she face now? I mean, she faced a lot of issues getting to this top job, and it won't be smooth. So what should we expect from her leadership? No, it won't be smooth. And as you say, she's got a lot on her plate. She's expected to be meeting with President Trump later this week or early next week. He's expected to stop off in Japan as part of his Asia tour. Japan, as we know, one of America's strongest allies in the region, and, of course, one of its largest training partners, so obviously a lot there to discuss. She will then head to APEC in South Korea, making her debut on the international stage. She believes, Errol, in a stronger Japanese military and has a very hawkish stance on China domestically. She's dealing with inflation and slow growth. But the Japanese currency and markets have responded positively to her appointment and the belief that she will implement her Japan is back policies and stimulate the economy. Now, interestingly, she has vowed to regulate immigration, which has become a real hot-button issue in Japan. This is a country facing a fast-aging population coupled with a very low birth rate. Now, previous governments have relaxed immigration policies to boost its workforce and obviously to grow, but that has also started to change the fabric of society and people are pushing back. So do expect to see tighter controls on immigration. Now, an interesting fact, Errol, is that the average tenure of a Japanese prime minister in the last 30 years is 16 months. So she's obviously hoping to beat that average. So we'll have to wait and see how she goes. It's a tough job. She seems up to it. Rock and roll has reached Japan. Anna Corrin, great to chat with you from Hong Kong.

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