The number of female lawmakers elected in the Japanese general election decreased

AFP reported that as Japan's first female prime minister, Masako Hashimoto won a landslide victory in the Sunday election, but she seemed not to be keen on linking her leadership style with gender issues.

Currently, female representatives account for only 15% of the total number of members in the House of Representatives, winning 68 seats out of 465. This is lower than the 73 seats expected in the 2024 election.

In the Sunday election, the proportion of female candidates reached a record high of 24%, but this was only one percentage point higher than in 2024.

In Japan, gender roles are deeply ingrained. Women are usually expected to take care of the household, even if they are working.

Professor Tsuda Yoshiko from Tsuru University, an expert in political science, told AFP: "The appointment of Koike Masayo as prime minister did not seem to have significantly increased the number of female candidates in the Liberal Democratic Party."

Among the 68 female members elected to the parliament, 39 came from the Liberal Democratic Party, accounting for just over 12% of the total 315 members of that party.

Koichi Asami is a staunch conservative. She opposes the law that requires married couples to use the same surname.

Professor Nishimoto Ryu of the Department of Political Science at the University of Tokyo said, "Kojima Asako is known for her conservative stance, so she is unlikely to devote her efforts to policies such as promoting diversity, equality and inclusiveness."

In the "2025 Global Gender Gap Report" released by the World Economic Forum, Japan ranked 118th among 148 countries.