Sanae Takaichi stands as she was chosen as the new leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party during the party’s leadership election in Tokyo, Japan (Kyodo News via AP)Japan’s governing party has elected former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi as its new leader, making her likely to become the country’s first female prime minister. In a country that ranks poorly internationally for gender equality, Ms Takaichi would make history as the first female leader of Japan’s long-governing conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Sanae Takaichi speaks during the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) leadership election in Tokyo, Japan (Kyodo News via AP) (ê[à‰ómïΩ; 深井洋平/AP)Ms Takaichi beat agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of popular former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, in a run-off in an intraparty vote by the LDP on Saturday. She replaces prime minister Shigeru Ishiba as the party hopes to regain public support and stay in power after major election losses. She is likely to be Japan’s next prime minister because the party remains by far the largest in the lower house, which determines the national leader, and because opposition groups are highly splintered.