Japan’s first female Prime Minister has joined a rare cross-party petition demanding more women’s restrooms in a parliament building designed nearly a century ago, before women even had the right to vote. The move exposes how outdated infrastructure not only creates practical barriers for the growing number of female representatives but also reflects deeper institutional exclusion in Japan’s political landscape, where gender equality remains a struggle.
Story Highlights
- Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and 58 female lawmakers petition for more women’s restrooms in Japan’s parliament.
- Current disparity: one women’s restroom with two stalls serves 73 female representatives versus 12 men’s facilities with 67 cubicles.
- Parliament building constructed in 1936 before women gained suffrage rights in 1945.
- Female representation nearly doubled from 45 to 73 seats after 2024 elections, straining inadequate facilities.
Infrastructure Crisis Reflects Historical Gender Exclusion
Japan’s National Diet Building, completed in 1936, was designed when women lacked voting rights and political participation. The building’s infrastructure reflects this male-dominated era, with stark disparities that persist today. Female lawmakers face long queues before plenary sessions at the single two-stall women’s restroom near the main hall, while men access 12 facilities with 67 total cubicles throughout the building. This practical barrier symbolizes how Japan’s political institutions were built to exclude women.
Nearly 60 women lawmakers in Japan, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, submitted a petition calling for more toilets in the parliament building to match their improved representation. 👉 https://t.co/5MoAZ20BLH pic.twitter.com/MGdEx8Azqr
— The Japan Times (@japantimes) January 5, 2026
Cross-Party Unity Emerges Despite Political Differences
The petition, submitted to lower house committee chair Yasukazu Hamada in early January 2026, represents rare bipartisan cooperation. Prime Minister Takaichi, despite her socially conservative positions and cabinet with only two other women among 19 members, joined opposition lawmakers like Constitutional Democratic Party’s Yasuko Komiyama. This unity demonstrates how basic workplace equity transcends political divides, even as Japan maintains its male-dominated power structure across government institutions.
Growing Female Representation Strains Outdated Facilities
The 2024 elections marked significant progress, increasing women’s lower house representation from 45 to 73 seats out of 465 total positions. This growth created practical challenges the 1936 building wasn’t designed to handle. Opposition lawmaker Komiyama noted how “truly so many women lawmakers have to form long queues” before sessions, calling it a symbol of increased female representation. The infrastructure gap highlights Japan’s struggle to modernize institutions for changing demographics.
Japan’s broader gender equality challenges extend beyond parliament walls. The country ranks 118th out of 148 nations in the World Economic Forum’s 2026 Global Gender Gap Report, reflecting systemic underrepresentation in politics, business, and media. Female political candidates routinely face sexist harassment, including being told to “stay home with children.” The government has set a target of 30% female legislative representation, yet structural barriers like inadequate facilities impede progress toward this goal.
Institutional Change Requires Infrastructure Investment
The petition represents more than a facilities request—it challenges decades of institutional neglect that treated women as political afterthoughts. While retrofitting restrooms involves minimal economic cost, the symbolic impact pressures broader modernization efforts. Takaichi’s participation as Prime Minister elevates the issue’s visibility, despite her conservative stance on traditional gender roles. This practical demand for workplace equity demonstrates how infrastructure investments support constitutional principles of equal representation and participation in democratic governance.
Watch the report: Japan: Over 60 Women Lawmakers Submit Restroom PetitionÂ
Sources:
- Women Japanese lawmakers point to unique shortage — toilets for women
- Japan PM joins fight for more female toilets in parliament
- Japan’s prime minister joins female lawmakers in fight for more toilets in parliament | CNN
- ​Two cubicles, 73 women, one long queue: Japan’s female MPs fight for more loos | Japan | The Guardian
