Japan's parliament elects nation's first female prime minister

The election on Tuesday came a day after Ms Takaichi's struggling party struck a coalition deal with a new partner expected to pull her governing bloc further to the right.

Ms Takaichi replaces Shigeru Ishiba, ending a three-month political vacuum and wrangling since the Liberal Democratic Party's disastrous election loss in July.

Mr Ishiba, who lasted only one year as prime minister, resigned with his Cabinet earlier in the day, paving the way for his successor.

Ms Takaichi is seen as a staunchly conservative figure, and her election is regarded as a pivot to the right. The 64-year-old is known as Japan's "Iron Lady", and she is an admirer of Margaret Thatcher.

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Ms Takaichi won 237 votes - four more than a majority - compared to 149 won by Yoshikoko Noda, head of the largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, in the lower house. As the results were announced, Ms Takaichi stood up and bowed deeply.

The LDP's alliance with the Osaka-based right-wing Japan Innovation Party, or Ishin no Kai, ensured her premiership because the opposition is not united.

Ms Takaichi's untested alliance is still short of a majority in both houses of parliament and will need to court other opposition groups to pass any legislation - a risk that could make her government unstable and short-lived.

"Political stability is essential right now," Ms Takaichi said at Monday's signing ceremony with the JIP leader and Osaka governor Hirofumi Yoshimura. "Without stability, we cannot push measures for a strong economy or diplomacy."

Earlier this month, the head of Japan's Komeito said the party was leaving the ruling coalition headed by the Liberal Democratic Party due to concerns over corruption.

Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito said his party, which has been a coalition partner with the Liberal Democrats for 26 years, had raised several concerns in a meeting with its leaders.

They include objections to Ms Takaichi's stance on Japan's wartime history and her visits to Yasukuni Shrine, seen as a symbol of its past militarism.

Another issue was Ms Takaichi's hardline position toward foreigners, part of a backlash against growing numbers of foreign workers and tourists.

But the deciding factor, he said, was the Liberal Democrats' response to scandals over the use of political slush funds.

Mr Saito said he found Ms Takaichi's response to his concerns over history, the Yasukuni visits and foreigners to be acceptable. But he said she showed a lack of "sincerity" about doing more to clean up corruption.

"The LDP's response was that it will think about it, which was highly insufficient and extremely disappointing," Mr Saito said.

The LDP has been beset by scandals involving dozens of lawmakers, many of them belonging to a party faction previously led by the late prime minister Shinzo Abe. His vision for Japan is one that Ms Takaichi has emulated.