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Takaichi, 64, has said she hopes to raise awareness about women's health struggles and has spoken candidly about her own experience with menopause. But she opposes revising a 19th-century law requiring married couples to share the same surname, and wants the imperial family to stick to male-only succession. In Nara, company worker Keiko Yoshida, 39, told AFP she hopes Takaichi will "make Japan a more liveable place for women". "I'd be happy if we saw more policies from a woman's perspective: support for childcare, and help for women returning to work after having children," agreed student Nina Terao, 18. Details of a trade deal between Washington and Tokyo remain unresolved, and Trump also wants Japan to stop Russian energy imports and boost defence spending. "I'd like her to be a Prime Minister who can clearly say 'No' when needed," Satoshi Sakamoto, 73, another Nara pensioner, told AFP. Beyond Trump, Takaichi's many challenges include reversing the decline of Japan's population and injecting some vim in the flatlining economy. Being in a minority in both houses of parliament, the new coalition will need support from other parties to push through legislation. Takaichi has in the past backed aggressive monetary easing and expanded government spending, echoing her mentor, former premier Shinzo Abe. Despite walking back on these "Abenomics" calls in the LDP leadership contest, her victory has boosted Japanese stocks to record highs. She previously said that "Japan is completely looked down on by China", and that Tokyo must "address the security threat" posed by Beijing. But she has since toned down her rhetoric on China, and stayed away last week from a festival at the Yasukuni shrine - she has been a regular visitor before - honouring Japan's war dead. Takaichi will also be under pressure to restore the fortunes of the LDP after a string of poor election results that cost Ishiba his job. Smaller parties gaining support include the populist Sanseito, which calls immigration a "silent invasion". "Prices have gone up, and it's tough," Nara pensioner Satoe Tominaga, 77, told AFP, saying she was "50-50" about Takaichi. "Honestly, I mostly shop at ¥100 (US$0.66) stores now."
