TOKYO (Reuters) -The race to choose the next leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party officially kicked off on Monday, with five lawmakers vying to replace outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru

A far-right populist party in Japan is courting allies of Donald Trump as it builds on its recent electoral gains. Sanseito uprooted Japan’s political foundations when it won 14 new seats in the House of Councillors election in July, “shattering the long-standing belief that modern Japan is immune to populism ”, said news agency Anadolu.

Japan's ruling party is set to sign a new coalition deal on Monday, paving the way for Sanae Takaichi to become the country's first woman prime minister, media reports said.Takaichi and her counterpart Hirofumi Yoshimura from the reformist,

TOKYO — Japan’s weakened Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is set to begin policy talks on Thursday with the Japan Innovation Party (JIP) as Sanae Takaichi, the ruling party’s new leader, woos an ally to help clinch a prime ministerial vote expected next week.

And while the LDP has ruled Japan almost continuously for the last 30 years, it’s now in a precarious position as it prepares to vote for a new party leader on Saturday – mired in scandal, widely unpopular, and abandoned by longtime supporters who have instead flocked to new right-wing parties.

Trump is already gushing about Sanae Takaichi, who is set to become Japan's new prime minister. The White House and Trump allies are talking up the potential bridge building before Trump jets to Asia this month.

Japan’s ruling party has forged a new coalition, paving the way for its leader to become the country’s next prime minister.

Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, appointed just two other women to her cabinet, well below the high of five in other recent administrations but notable for her nomination of the nation’s first female finance minister.