The "One Thing" 85% of Japanese Want, but the Government Blocks—and the Man Smiling Behind It

00:00 Intro
00:14 "Ballpens and handbags sold out"... The Takaichi syndrome once at 71% approval
00:57 Plunging 12 percentage points in a month... The Imperial Household Law that breached the approval rating dike
01:54 "A male monarch even if a total stranger"... The "exclusion of Aiko" that sparked outrage
03:08 "A monarch coming from the Aso family?"... The influence behind the forced passage
04:44 "A mayor is going on maternity leave"... The first experiment in constitutional history
06:55 "Korea doesn't even have regulations"... Self-portrait of a country ranked 101st in gender gap

This is Tokyo. Today, I am going to talk about three women who are engaged in fierce battles in Japan lately. Although Japan is a developed nation, it still has a wide gender gap when it comes to social roles. This is especially true in politics.

1. "Ballpens and handbags sold out"... The Takaichi syndrome once at 71% approval
One of the politicians creating cracks in this is Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Prime Minister Takaichi became the Liberal Democratic Party's first female president in September of last year, and the following month, she became the first female prime minister in 140 years since Japan adopted a cabinet system. Right after taking office, her approval rating stood at 71%, recording the fourth-highest prime ministerial approval rating since 2000. The ballpen Takaichi used at her inaugural press conference sold out instantly, and the handbag she carried on her way to work also flew off the shelves. She dispelled her hardline conservative image by approaching relations with South Korea in a friendly manner.

#Sanae Takaichi / Japanese Prime Minister
"I really like Korean seaweed. I also use Korean cosmetics. And I watch Korean dramas."

2. Plunging 12 percentage points in a month... The Imperial Household Law that breached the approval rating dike
Takaichi's popularity, which had been unyielding with approval ratings staying in the 60s and 70s continuously since taking office, has recently shown signs of change. Immediately after the revision of the Imperial Household Law was processed in the Japanese parliament on the 17th, an opinion poll showed a sharp plunge in the approval rating for the Takaichi cabinet. A survey by the Mainichi Shimbun on the 20th showed a 10 percentage point drop from a month ago, and a survey by the Yomiuri Shimbun a week later showed an even steeper fall of 12 percentage points. This is the first time the cabinet approval rating has dropped by more than 10 percentage points in a month since unification church-related suspicions surfaced during the Kishida cabinet in 2022. Yomiuri pointed out that the reason for the plunge in approval ratings is the forceful passage of the Imperial Household Law revision, over which public opinion is sharply divided. The Imperial Household Law is the legislation that governs the Japanese imperial succession and the composition of the imperial family. It has little to do with people's livelihoods. So why did public sentiment react so sensitively?

3. "A male monarch even if a total stranger"... The "exclusion of Aiko" that sparked outrage
There are various complex circumstances, but simply put, it is because the right to the throne is at stake. Among the remaining 16 members of the imperial family, there are only 3 males capable of succeeding the Emperor, and the only young male practically capable of succession is Prince Hisahito, the nephew of Emperor Naruhito. Because of the principle that the throne can only be inherited by males through the paternal line, if Hisahito fails to produce a son, the succession will be cut off. There were two solutions: allowing females, such as Emperor Naruhito's only daughter Princess Aiko, to become monarch, or adopting males from former imperial branches who were excluded due to the downsizing of the imperial family right after World War II. Public opinion favored "allowing females to become monarchs too," but the government and ruling party chose to adopt males from the former imperial branches. Instead of granting succession rights to Princess Aiko, who is popular for her down-to-earth image, the government and ruling party insisted on adopting a male who is the 36th to 38th cousin of Emperor Naruhito—effectively a total stranger—to secure a male monarch at all costs, which enraged the public. Support for a "female emperor" jumped by over 10 percentage points in a month, from 73% to 85%. The approval rating for a female emperor rose by precisely as much as the cabinet approval rating fell.

4. "A monarch coming from the Aso family?"... The influence behind the forced passage
The public grew even more furious because suspicions arose that former Prime Minister Taro Aso's influence was at play in this forced processing. Former Prime Minister Aso's younger sister is Princess Nobuko, who became a member of the imperial family through marriage in 1980. Among current imperial family members excluding the elderly and unmarried, projections suggest she has the highest likelihood of adopting a male into the family. Indeed, if Princess Nobuko adopts a former imperial male and that adopted son bears a son, that son can become monarch. This raises the possibility of a monarch emerging from the Aso family rather than the current Naruhito family. Speculation suggests that Takaichi, who has a weak intra-party base, could not refuse the demands of Aso, who leads the sole faction within the LDP and propelled her to the prime minister's seat. Anyway, it is an ironic scene where Takaichi, who broke through the glass ceiling of the political world to become the first female prime minister, plays into the hands of the LDP's hardline conservatives who insist that a "queen" is absolutely out of the question. Though they did not engage in a direct war of words, it feels like a confrontational dynamic between Prime Minister Takaichi and Princess Aiko. On the 27th, a demand was made in parliament to establish an advisory committee to discuss imperial succession plans, including a female emperor, but Prime Minister Takaichi drew a line, stating she has no such intentions right now. However, because the dike of an approval rating that seemed unbreakable has collapsed once due to this Imperial Household Law revision, if the administration continues actions disconnected from public sentiment, the foundation of the government could be shaken. If the voices of the majority of citizens move past the conservative right-wing forces and open up the possibility of a "female emperor" through this, its significance will not be limited simply to an imperial family issue.

5. "A mayor is going on maternity leave"... The first experiment in constitutional history
Meaningful changes are also beginning in a regional city. This is the story of Shoko Kawata, the mayor of Yawata City in Kyoto Prefecture. Mayor Kawata, who is in her 30s, started her maternity leave on the 20th. While maternity leave is something anyone takes, this is the first time in constitutional history for a local government head in Japan, turning it into a nationwide debate. Mayor Kawata already drew attention three years ago when she was elected as the youngest mayor nationwide at the age of 33. Since taking office, she has pursued improving the childcare environment and resolving population issues as core tasks. When she announced her pregnancy last May, she declared she would take four months of maternity leave around September, her expected due date.

#Shoko Kawata / Mayor of Yawata
"I found out about my pregnancy earlier this year, and I plan to take maternity leave."

During her leave, the vice mayor will lead municipal administration as acting mayor, and Mayor Kawata decided to communicate with city officials via phone and video conferences. While these measures were arranged, criticisms flooded in, calling her irresponsible and demanding her resignation given that it is maternity leave for an elected public official. However, Mayor Kawata's stance was clear. She argued that prohibiting maternity leave simply because a position carries leadership responsibilities is tantamount to excluding women of childbearing age from senior positions.

#Shoko Kawata / Mayor of Yawata
"We must create a society where working people across all professions, including those in leadership roles, do not hesitate to have children. Otherwise, I believe population decline due to falling birth rates will continue, and the resulting economic deterioration will be inevitable."

The reason there were not even regulations for maternity leave was because there were extremely few female elected public officials. As of the end of last year, female local government heads in Japan accounted for a mere 4.3% of prefectural-level municipalities and 3.7% of municipal-level ones. Among them, those in the young age bracket capable of pregnancy like Mayor Kawata are even fewer. Mayor Kawata said in an interview, "Through this, I want to encourage everyone working in various occupations to naturally accept crucial moments in life such as childcare and childbirth, and maintain a work-life balance."

6. "Korea doesn't even have regulations"... Self-portrait of a country ranked 101st in gender gap
When I first encountered Mayor Kawata's story, I thought it was a story unique to Japan. However, upon checking, it turned out not to be the case. South Korea also lacks regulations for maternity leave for elected public officials. At least in Japan, maternity leave regulations for lawmakers were introduced last year. On the other hand, in South Korea, bills to introduce maternity leave for legislative positions were proposed during the 20th and 21st National Assemblies but failed to pass and were automatically discarded. Countries like the US, the UK, Germany, Nordic nations, and New Zealand guarantee maternity leave for elected public officials. In the Gender Gap Index released by the World Economic Forum last year, South Korea ranked 101st out of 148 countries, while Japan ranked 118th. We seem to need to look back and ask ourselves how desperate we are to create a sustainable society where members of society, regardless of gender, can unleash 100% of their capabilities.

(Reported by Mun Junmo | Produced by Kim Su-hyeong | Video by Han Chul-min and Mun Hyun-jin | Video Editing by Hong Jin-young | Design by Lee Su-min | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.