By Tamiyuki Kihara TOKYO (Reuters) -As Japan's new premier Sanae Takaichi got to work on Wednesday, her government began finalising a purchase package, including U.S. pickups, soybeans and gas, to present to President Donald Trump in trade and security talks next week,

Sanae Takaichi has become Japan's first female prime minister, a significant milestone in the country's male-dominated political landscape.

On Tuesday, Sanae Takaichi, 64, won election as Japan’s prime minister, the first woman to do so in the nation’s history.

Japan’s newly-elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is a staunch defender of nuclear power who has vowed to put security at the heart of her government’s energy policy.

Last month, before she was elected Prime Minister, Takaichi appeared on Babymetal's Metal Radio, a Tokyo FM show hosted by Babymetal members Su-metal, Moametal and Momometal. The show promises to "unite the world and connect the world through metal" and features interviews with "secret metal" fans.

Japan’s former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, who was known for his 1995 “Murayama statement” apologizing to Asian victims of his country’s aggression, died Friday. Murayama died at a hospital in his hometown Oita,

Japan’s Ishin opposition party held an executive meeting on Sunday as it mulled the possibility of joining forces with the ruling party, a decision that could determine the country’s next prime minister.