A former news anchor has struck a rare blow for Japanese women in public life by becoming the first female leader of the country’s biggest opposition party. The 48-year-old, who was born in Japan to a Taiwanese father and Japanese mother, is expected to give her party a temporary boost, following a run of poor election results. “From here on, we face a giant ruling party,” she said after the vote. Last month, Tomomi Inada, a rightwinger who has been tipped as a future prime minister, became Japan’s second defence minister. Questioned by reporters, she acknowledged that she still held Taiwanese nationality, despite earlier claiming that she had become a naturalised citizen of Japan in 1985 at the age of 17.

Source: The Guardian September 15, 2016 09:40 UTC