India, Sept. 27 -- Japan has never confronted the raw contradiction inherent in its postwar democracy: a nation reconstructed from devastation, yet shackled by entrenched hierarchies that dictate who may wield authority. The first week of next month, however, a singular possibility emerges. Sanae Takaichi, former economic security minister and unflinching conservative, positions herself as the foremost contender to assume the premiership, an office long monopolised by men. Her candidacy is not merely symbolic; it exposes the fissures in Japan's political system, its gender inequities, and the enduring influence of historical power brokers, while raising profound questions about legitimacy, merit, and risk in governance. Takaichi's ascent ...