Japan’s next leader may be its first woman or youngest in modern era

Japan's former internal affairs minister Sanae Takaichi delivers a speech at the kick-off of the campaign for the LDP presidential election in Tokyo, Japan, September 22, 2025. Franck Robichon/Pool via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan stands a good chance of having its first woman prime minister or its youngest leader in the modern era after a vote on Saturday to pick the head of the nation’s ruling party.

The front-runners in the potentially historic Liberal Democratic Party election are conservative nationalist Sanae Takaichi, 64, and her more moderate rival Shinjiro Koizumi, 44. Opinion polls suggest Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, 64, may also be a contender.