Nipponica

"It was quite interesting to see how people outside Japan have reacted to the news." Ayda Ogura, 21, says.

"Everyone's like, 'wow, she's the first female prime minister in Japanese history and that would be a great opportunity for women empowerment and gender equality in Japan'.

"I think that's a very naive interpretation."

Instead, Ms Ogura points to her "political beliefs and what she stands for", adding: "She perpetuates the patriarchal system."

It is good that western outlets are getting the 'milestone' and 'women empowerment' narratives out of their system and actually started to look at Takaichi as a politician. This is largely a step back in Japan's slow journey for true equality under the law. Fortunately, with the instability of the coalition and LDP as a whole, this is hopefully a short term issue.