Takaichi, who is known to be an admirer of Britain's Margaret Thatcher, will get an early opportunity to meet President Donald Trump. They are both due to attend a meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in South Korea at the end of October, and they should find common cause on conservative issues such as immigration.

Sanae Takaichi took office on Tuesday as Japan's first female prime minister, but her surprisingly male-dominated cabinet and socially conservative track record have left some women ambivalent in a c...