Ms Takaichi, an ultra-conservative who on Tuesday became Japan’s first female prime minister, had promised to model her government’s gender balance on countries such as Iceland and Finland, where women make up roughly half of all cabinet members.

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.

Hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi was elected Japan's first female prime minister on Tuesday, shattering a political glass ceiling for women and setting the country up for a decisive turn to the right.

Her comments come after her historic appointment on 21 October as Japan’s first female prime minister, after her party Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) entered a coalition with the right-wing Japan Innovation Party (Ishin), giving her the parliamentary support needed to avoid a runoff.