The Nation's First Female Leader: A Historic Event that Comes with Reservations

To numerous young girls in Japan today, the sight of Sanae Takaichi assuming leadership as the country's inaugural female leader is impactful and influential.

It means a patriarchal society and a government structure that has long been dominated by men is now led by a woman.

But while the appearances speak of a progressive moment, certain females do not view her as an champion of progress.

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

“Everyone's like, ‘wow, she's the inaugural woman prime minister in Japanese history and that would be a significant chance for female advancement and equal rights in Japan’.

In my opinion that's a rather simplistic interpretation.”

Conversely, Ms Ogura points to her “ideological stance and what she represents,” noting: “She reinforces the patriarchal system.”

A strong admirer of Margaret Thatcher, Sanae Takaichi has always wanted to be the “Steel Magnolia” of her country.

And like Thatcher, Takaichi is a firm conservative.

Observers say her ascension is a strategic decision from the ruling LDP to appeal to the increasingly right-leaning supporters which had lately shifted towards Japan's more extreme conservative groups.

The leader is against marriage equality and has long stood against laws that would allow spouses to have different last names, blocking many women from keeping their birth surnames.

She's also opposed to females being in eligible for the throne in the imperial family.

However, she did soften some of her statements during her campaign – saying she favours giving financial benefits to businesses that offer daycare services to their staff and mentioned possible deductions for families investing in child-rearing.

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

Regarding women's issues, Takaichi is aligned with her nation's subpar performance on equality concerns.

The Country's Inequality in Context

Women in Japan are among the best educated and highest qualified in the globe and yet they struggle with the demands of a conservative society that still pushes them into conventional positions.

Based on the 2025 gender gap index by the global organization, Japan ranked 118th out of among nearly 150 countries, with female representation in the field of politics notably low.

Leadership positions have traditionally been dominated by males and Japan has faced difficulties to increase the quantity of female lawmakers and business leaders.

The world's fourth largest economic power ranks at the bottom among the G7 countries when it comes to the share of women in its legislative body. Specifically, women constitute about 15.7% of legislators in Japan, the smallest proportion among the seven major economies.

Progress is also sluggish when it comes to female healthcare: recently was it announced that the “emergency” pill – a type of post-coital birth control sold over the counter in over ninety countries – had at last been authorized for over the counter use in Japan.

Differing Reactions to the Landmark Leadership

Even so, certain individuals view Takaichi's rise to power as a critical juncture that could alter how females perceive their prospects.

“There is great significance in Ms Takaichi assuming the role of prime minister, with a wider influence on society,” Naomi Koshi – who was elected as the nation's youngest female mayor in 2012 – told local media.

Koshi argued Japan electing a female prime minister will “lower mental obstacles” for women and girls, enabling them to believe it is normal to “stand out” as leaders in businesses and the community, despite biased expectations and expectations still remain.

However a 20-year-old points out that, while it is notable Japan has its inaugural woman leader, one must remember it required her more than 30 years to get to that position.

“She's also not really challenging the norm. She's saying the same thing as the male politicians.”

The young woman adds that she ought not be placed on a pedestal simply because she is a woman.

“It is essential to make sure we're discussing her policies. We must be capable of criticise her fairly as everyone else.”

Ideological Context and Influences

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

Additionally, it is evident by who her champions inside the party have been.

She's the protégé of the late former hawkish prime minister a previous leader, and was backed in the leadership election by a senior politician – a senior figure in the ruling party at the leadership of one of the ruling party's most powerful right-wing factions.

Their group's support for Sanae Takaichi was crucial in uniting the conservative wing in her favor.

“I believe that it is difficult for women to somewhat identify with her success because it promotes this idea that we must be compliant with the existing system,” 21-year-old Minori Konishi says.

The 21-year-old agrees, saying that with her as a symbol for females in government, “the public are going to expect the same from us as too”.

“They're going to expect us to be compliant, not oppose the beliefs that they have, and it might make our job harder.”

Upcoming Challenges and Expectations

Making history, however, was just the first of the challenges Takaichi will encounter – not least tackling a slow growth and inflation and regaining the confidence of a frustrated and angry electorate, as well as welcoming the US leader within days of taking power.

It's safe to say that few anticipate women's rights matters to be a top priority on her agenda.