Is this a win for women’s rights? Japan’s "Iron Lady" smashed through the glass ceiling when she became her country’s first ever female premier. But some say her policies will hold other women back.
Japan elects its first female leader
Looking back: Takaichi, above, often wears blue suits to pay tribute to her political role model, Britain's Margaret Thatcher. Glossary
Margaret Thatcher - Britain’s first female prime minister (from 1979 to 1990) and the longest-serving prime minister of the modern era. She was a Conservative.
Glass ceiling - An invisible systemic barrier that stops women from reaching the top of many professions.
Conservative - Holding traditional values, and in a political context, favouring policies such as private ownership.
Legislation - Legislation consists of a law or laws passed by a government.
Maiden names - A woman's surname before she gets married.
Imperial family - The reigning dynasty of Japan — the family of the current emperor.
Feminist - Someone who calls for women's rights and equality of the sexes.
Patriarchal - A society in which adult men have a monopoly on power. In these societies, men tend to hold all political positions, and women and children are also expected to obey the men in their families.