Japan's Sarah Palin

It would be a very refreshing change were Japan to be run by a woman. Bloomberg reports on "Japan's Sarah Palin":

Yuriko Koike, 56, reportedly is considering a run to replace Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who resigned this week. Well, good for her if she decides to try.

The one-time television anchorwoman has served as Japan's defense and environment minister. A legislator since 1992, Koike was among the candidates then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi chose in 2005 to oppose conservative lawmakers in elections.

Koizumi is widely thought to be championing her behind the scenes to succeed Fukuda, who lasted just 11 months as premier...

Unlike Fukuda and Abe, Koike is a self-described passionate advocate of the kinds of pro-market and smaller-government ideas that foreign investors desire. Koike is an admirer of Margaret Thatcher . . .

Koike has lived and studied abroad (Egypt), speaks Arabic fluently, practiced journalism for years, and since held a variety of high-level positions in the Japanese government. Let me make one thing clear: Koike is no Sarah Palin.

Koike Wikipedia biography