The election of Sanae Takaichi as Japan's first female prime minister on Tuesday placed her husband, Taku Yamamoto, as the country's first male spouse of the prime minister, or "first gentleman."

Yamamoto, 73, said by phone that he is "relieved" that his wife was elected prime minister. He said that he and his wife will be even more considerate of each other's health. "I'll support her as a low-key 'stealth' husband," he said.

Yamamoto has served eight terms as a House of Representatives lawmaker since being first elected to the lower chamber of the Diet in 1990. Both Yamamoto and Takaichi belonged to the Liberal Democratic Party's faction led by former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori.