🔗 Share this article Japan's First Woman Prime Minister: A Historic Event with Caveats The new leader has reached the highest office in a male-dominated nation For many female youth in Japan currently, the image of Sanae Takaichi taking the helm as the nation's inaugural woman prime minister is powerful and formative. This signifies a male-oriented culture and a political system that has long been dominated by men is currently headed by a female. But while the appearances speak of a progressive moment, certain females don't see her as an champion of progress. It was rather interesting to see how people beyond Japan's borders have responded to the announcement,” a 21-year-old states. “Everyone's like, ‘wow, she's the inaugural woman prime minister in the nation's past and that would be a great opportunity for women empowerment and gender equality in Japan’. “I think that's a very naive interpretation.” Instead, the young woman points to her “ideological stance and what she represents,” adding: “She perpetuates the patriarchal system.” Ayda Ogura cautions this may not be the time for equal rights in Japan many believe A big fan of Britain's first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi has always wanted to be the “Steel Magnolia” of her nation. Similar to Thatcher, Takaichi is a staunch conservative. Analysts note her leadership is a tactical move from the ruling LDP to appeal to the increasingly right-leaning supporters which had recently gravitated towards Japan's parties further to the right. The leader is against same-sex marriage and has long stood against laws that would allow spouses to have different last names, preventing many women from keeping their maiden names. She's also opposed to women being in line for succession in the royal household. Nonetheless, she moderated some of her statements during her campaign – saying she favours giving financial benefits to businesses that offer daycare services to their staff and spoke of possible tax breaks for households spending on child-rearing. But she has historically supported the notion of a conventional position for females in society and in the family. Regarding gender matters, Takaichi is aligned with her country's subpar record on equality concerns. Japan's Gender Gap in Context Japanese women are among the best educated and most skilled in the globe and yet they face challenges with the demands of a traditional culture that still pushes them into traditional roles. Based on the 2025 gender gap index by the World Economic Forum, Japan ranked 118th out of among 148 nations, with women's presence in the field of politics particularly minimal. Top roles have historically been held by males and Japan has faced difficulties to boost the quantity of female lawmakers and business leaders. The world's fourth largest economic power ranks last among the G7 countries when it comes to the percentage of females in its legislative body. In detail, females constitute about 15.7% of legislators in Japan, the lowest figure among the G7. It is even slow when it comes to female healthcare: only this week was it announced that the “morning after” pill – a form of emergency contraception sold over the counter in over ninety nations – had at last been authorized for over the counter use in Japan. Mixed Responses to the Historic Leadership Even so, some see Takaichi's rise to power as a critical juncture that could alter how women view their opportunities. “It is highly meaningful in Ms Takaichi assuming the role of prime minister, with a broader impact on society,” a former mayor – who was elected as the country's youngest female mayor in 2012 – informed Japan's Kyodo news agency. She contended Japan having a woman prime minister will “reduce psychological barriers” for women and girls, helping them feel it is normal to “stand out” as leaders in businesses and the community, even as gender-based stereotypes and expectations still persist. But Audrey Hill-Uekawa points out that, while it is remarkable Japan has its first female prime minister, one must remember it required her over three decades to get to that position. “Additionally, she is not really challenging the grain. She expresses the identical views as the men.” The 20-year-old says the new prime minister's views are quite similar from the men who have preceded her The young woman adds that she shouldn't be put on a pedestal simply because she is a female. “We need to ensure we're discussing her policies. We need to be able to evaluate her fairly as all other leaders.” Political Background and Influences It is not only what Takaichi has said which has caused individuals to describe her as a supporter of the patriarchy. Additionally, it is apparent by who her champions inside the party have were. She was mentored of the late former hawkish prime minister a previous leader, and was endorsed in the leadership election by a senior politician – a senior figure in the ruling party at the head of one of the government's most powerful conservative blocs. Their group's support for Sanae Takaichi was pivotal in uniting the conservative wing in her favor. “I do feel that it is challenging for females to somewhat relate to her achievement because it furthers this idea that we must be compliant with the existing system,” 21-year-old Minori Konishi says. The 21-year-old concurs, saying that with her as a symbol for women in government, “the public are likely to anticipate the same from us as too”. “They will demand us to be compliant, not oppose the ideals that they hold, and it might make our role harder.” Future Obstacles and Anticipations Making history, though, was only the initial of the challenges Takaichi will encounter – not least addressing a slow growth and rising prices and regaining the confidence of a frustrated and angry voting public, as in addition to hosting the US leader within days of taking power. It's safe to say that few anticipate women's rights matters to be high on her agenda.