When Sanae Takaichi formally launched her third bid for the Liberal Democratic Party leadership on Sept. 19, Teri De Sario’s 1984 upbeat hit, “Overnight Success,” blasted from the speakers as she stepped into a room to present her candidacy.

“An overnight success, you have the power to rise above the rest,” reads the refrain of the anthem.

Takaichi’s election as party leader, though — and her likely appointment as Japan’s first female prime minister — are far from an “overnight success.”