Japan's new prime minister will shore up short-term political stability, but her minority government will oversee slow policymaking and poor electoral prospects, while her administration will strengthen Japan's ties with the United States but risk a deterioration of relations with China and South Korea. After days of uncertainty regarding the formation of a government, Japan's Diet selected ruling Liberal Democratic Party President and conservative firebrand Sanae Takaichi as prime minister on Oct. 21. Takaichi took office immediately, replacing her predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba. Her new Cabinet, which will lead a minority government, includes conservative competitor Toshimitsu Motegi as foreign minister, rival reformers Shinjiro Koizumi as defense minister and Yoshimasa Hayashi as internal affairs minister, Ishiba's U.S. trade envoy Ryosei Akazawa as industry minister and former defense minister Minoru Kihara as chief Cabinet secretary. She also chose as education minister Yohei Matsumoto, who controversially supported a 2007 Japanese movie that denied Imperial...
