Japan’s political landscape is changing, and so is the need for better facilities to support this shift. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is among 60 female lawmakers calling for more women’s restrooms in the Parliament building. This push comes after a record 73 women won seats in the 465-member Lower House in October 2024, surpassing the previous record of 54 in 2009.
Opposition lawmaker Yasuko Komiyama highlighted a common frustration: long lines before plenary sessions. In her words, some women have “given up” on using the restroom before meetings. Currently, there’s only one women’s restroom with two stalls near the plenary chamber, while across the building, there are just nine women’s toilets with 22 stalls. In contrast, men have 12 restrooms with 67 stalls and urinals.
“Female staff and visitors also use these facilities, making them often inconvenient,” Komiyama noted. She advocates for more restrooms as a step towards achieving gender equality in politics. Her aim? To ensure women occupy over 30% of parliamentary seats in the future.
The Parliament building itself, constructed in 1936, predates women’s voting rights in Japan. The first woman was appointed to parliament in 1946. Given its history, the current restroom situation feels outdated. With a total area that stretches over 53,000 square meters, the Parliament building is vast, yet it lacks adequate facilities for women.
Recently, Yasukazu Hamada, chair of the Lower House committee, expressed openness to considering the proposal for more women’s toilets. This comes as the Japanese government aims for 30% of leadership roles across all sectors to be filled by women by 2030—a target previously missed by a decade. As of now, women hold nearly 16% of seats in the Lower House, with better representation in the Upper House at around 33%.
The issue of restroom availability isn’t just confined to the Parliament. Across Japan, long lines in women’s public restrooms are quite common. Even former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba acknowledged this problem, promising to enhance women’s restroom facilities to promote a more comfortable society for women.
These changes, while small, symbolize a broader recognition of women’s roles in Japan’s political and social landscape. More actions like these can help pave the way for future generations and improve the everyday experiences of women in public spaces.
For additional context on women’s representation in politics, you can check resources from the World Economic Forum or the United Nations.
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