Prime Highlights:
- Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and around 60 female lawmakers are calling for more women’s restrooms in Japan’s parliament to match the growing number of female legislators.
- The move highlights the increasing role of women in politics, with a record 73 women elected to the Lower House in October 2024.
Key Facts:
- The parliament building currently has nine women’s restrooms with 22 cubicles, compared to 12 men’s restrooms with 67 stalls and urinals.
- Japan has set targets for increasing women’s representation in leadership, but women still hold about 16% of Lower House seats and roughly a third of Upper House seats
Background:
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has joined a growing movement among female lawmakers calling for more women’s restrooms in the nation’s parliament building. The push comes as more women than ever are serving in Japan’s parliament. In October 2024, 73 women were elected to the 465-seat Lower House, beating the previous record of 54 set in 2009. This rise has brought attention to a long-standing problem: there are not enough restrooms for female lawmakers.
Opposition lawmaker Yasuko Komiyama, a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party, described the situation as “often inconvenient,” noting that long queues form before plenary sessions. She quoted another female lawmaker who had “given up” attempting to use the restroom before sessions. Currently, there is only one female toilet with two cubicles near the plenary chamber, while the building as a whole has nine women’s restrooms with 22 cubicles. In contrast, men have 12 restrooms with 67 stalls and urinals across the building. Female staff and visitors also share the limited facilities, increasing congestion.
The parliament building, constructed in 1936, predates women’s right to vote by nearly a decade. Its sprawling structure covers 13,356 square meters, with a total floor area of 53,464 square meters. Komiyama said it’s important to have enough facilities as more women enter politics, especially when they hold over 30% of parliamentary seats.
Chair of the Lower House committee Yasukazu Hamada has reportedly expressed willingness to consider the proposal, according to Asahi Shimbun. PM Takaichi, Japan’s first female leader, has also pledged to increase female representation in her cabinet to levels comparable with Nordic countries, though her current 19-member cabinet includes only three women.
This problem is not limited to parliament; long lines for women’s restrooms are common across Japan. Former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said improving women’s restrooms is important so women can feel comfortable and at ease.
With more women in leadership, having enough restrooms is a basic but important step for equality in politics.
