Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) elected Sanae Takaichi as its new leader on Saturday, putting her on track to become the country's first female prime minister.

"Together with so many of you, we have carved a new era for the LDP," she said after her election.

Conservative hard-liner Takaichi is the former internal affairs and economic security minister of Japan and is expected to replace outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Ishiba announced his resignation last month after the ruling coalition he led lost majorities in both houses of parliament.

A parliamentary vote to formally confirm Japan's next leader is expected on Oct. 15.

Takaichi promises 'hope' 

Takaichi won the runoff vote against former environment minister Shinjiro Koizumi.

No candidate had secured a majority in the first round of voting which saw five candidates split the initial vote.

The LDP, historically dominant in postwar Japan but weakened by recent election losses, no longer holds outright majorities in either chamber.

"Recently, I have heard harsh voices from across the country saying we don’t know what the LDP stands for anymore," Takaichi said before her election.

"That sense of urgency drove me. I wanted to turn people’s anxieties about their daily lives and the future into hope."

What are her policies?

The conservative nationalist Takaichi has been a vocal critic of China and its military build-up in the Asia-Pacific.

Added to this, her regular visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, seen by many in Asia as a symbol of Japan's wartime past and reminiscent of her nationalist stance, could strain ties with South Korea and China.

She has floated the idea of revising Japan's pacifist constitution and suggested a "quasi-security alliance" with Taiwan, the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing.

Takaichi was also a close ally of slain ex-prime minister Shinzo Abe, backing his “Abenomics” policies of aggressive monetary easing and big fiscal spending, criticizing the Bank of Japan's interest rate increases.

The former college heavy metal drummer calls ex-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher her political hero and sees much support in the conservative wing of the LDP.

This explains her staunchly conservative gender views, opposing changes to a 19th-century law requiring married couples to share a surname, which usually means women take their husband’s name.

Takaichi has also taken a tough stance on immigration and foreign tourists.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery