Motoko Shimada, long-time friend of Japan’s new Liberal Democratic Party

Motoko Shimada, childhood friend and primary school classmate of Sanae Takaichi, the newly elected president leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), speaks during an interview with Reuters at Takaichi’s constituency office in Yamatokoriyama, Nara Prefecture, Japan, October 6, 2025. REUTERS/Joseph Campbell