The Nation's Pioneering Female Prime Minister: An Unprecedented Moment that Comes with Caveats

For many female youth in Japan today, the image of Sanae Takaichi taking the helm as the nation's inaugural female prime minister is powerful and formative.

It means a male-oriented culture and a political system that has long been dominated by men is now led by a woman.

However, although the appearances speak of a progressive moment, some women do not view her as an champion of progress.

“It was quite interesting to see how individuals beyond Japan's borders have responded to the news,” Ayda Ogura states.

“Everyone's like, ‘wow, she's the first female prime minister in Japanese history and that would be a great opportunity for women empowerment and equal rights in Japan’.

“I think that's a rather simplistic interpretation.”

Conversely, the young woman points to her “ideological stance and what she represents,” adding: “She reinforces the patriarchal system.”

A big fan of Margaret Thatcher, Sanae Takaichi has long aspired to be the “Iron Lady” of her country.

Similar to Thatcher, Takaichi is a firm right-wing politician.

Observers say her leadership is a tactical move from the ruling LDP to attract the more conservative base which had recently gravitated towards Japan's more extreme conservative groups.

Takaichi opposes marriage equality and has long stood against laws that would allow married couples to have different last names, blocking many women from keeping their birth surnames.

Additionally, she is opposed to females being in line for succession in the imperial family.

However, she moderated certain her messaging during her election bid – saying she favours giving financial benefits to companies that provide daycare services to their employees and spoke of possible tax breaks for households spending on childcare.

But she has over the years backed the idea of a more traditional role for females in the community and in the family.

When it comes to gender matters, Takaichi is aligned with her country's less than impressive performance on gender issues.

The Country's Gender Gap in Perspective

Women in Japan are among the best educated and most skilled in the world and yet they face challenges with the expectations of a traditional culture that still pushes them into traditional roles.

According to the 2025 equality ranking by the World Economic Forum, Japan placed 118th among 148 nations, with female representation in the political arena particularly minimal.

Top roles have historically been held by males and Japan has struggled to boost the number of female lawmakers and corporate executives.

The world's fourth largest economy ranks at the bottom among the Group of Seven nations when it comes to the share of females in its national parliament. Specifically, females constitute about 15.7% of lawmakers in Japan, the smallest proportion among the seven major economies.

It is even slow when it comes to women's reproductive health: only this week was it revealed that the “morning after” pill – a form of emergency contraception available without prescription in more than 90 countries – had at last been authorized for over the counter use in Japan.

Differing Responses to the Landmark Appointment

Nonetheless, certain individuals view Takaichi's ascent as a critical juncture that could alter how women view their prospects.

“There is great significance in Ms Takaichi becoming prime minister, with a broader impact on society,” Naomi Koshi – who became the nation's most youthful woman city leader in 2012 – told Japan's Kyodo news agency.

Koshi argued 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 society, even as gender-based stereotypes and expectations still persist.

However Audrey Hill-Uekawa notes that, while it is notable Japan has its first female prime minister, it is important to recall it required her over three decades to get to that position.

“Additionally, she is not really going against the grain. She expresses the same thing as the men.”

Ms Hill-Uekawa adds that she shouldn't be put on a pedestal just due to the fact she is a female.

“It is essential to ensure we're talking about her policies. We need to be capable of criticise her fairly as everyone else.”

Ideological Context and Associations

It is not only what Takaichi has stated which has led people to label her as a defender of the patriarchy.

It's also apparent by who her champions within the LDP have been.

She was mentored of the late ex- hawkish prime minister a previous leader, and was backed in the party vote by a senior politician – a prominent member in the LDP at the head of one of the government's most powerful conservative blocs.

Their group's backing for Sanae Takaichi was pivotal in consolidating the conservative wing in her favor.

“I do feel that it is challenging for women to sort of identify with her success because it furthers this idea that we have to be compliant with the existing system,” young adult Minori Konishi says.

Ms Ogura agrees, stating that with her as a symbol for females in government, “the public are likely to anticipate the same from women as too”.

“They're going to expect us to be conforming, not go against the ideals that they have, and it might make our role harder.”

Future Obstacles and Expectations

Achieving this milestone, though, was only the initial of the challenges Takaichi will face – including addressing a sluggish economy and rising prices and regaining the confidence of a frustrated and irate electorate, as well as hosting president Trump within days of assuming office.

It's safe to say that no-one expects gender equality issues to be a top priority on her priority list.