Tokyo – July 21, 2025 — In a historic breakthrough for gender representation in Japanese politics, 42 women secured seats in Sunday’s House of Councillors election, setting a new record and edging the nation closer to its gender equality goals, reported by APP.
The figure surpasses the previous high of 35 women elected during the 2022 upper house race. Women now account for 33.6% of the 125 seats contested this year — a modest but significant rise in a country where female political representation has long lagged.
Among the winners were prominent figures like Seiko Hashimoto, a former Olympic minister and member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Renho, a high-profile lawmaker from the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ).
This year’s election saw 152 female candidates, down from a record 181 in 2022. Women made up 29.1% of all candidates, still shy of the government’s 2025 target of 35%.
Despite modest progress at the polls, Japan continues to struggle with gender parity in political leadership. The country ranked 118th out of 148 in the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Gender Gap Report, with particularly low marks in political empowerment, though it showed gains in health, education, and economic participation.
Of the 152 women candidates, 102 ran from local electoral districts and 50 through proportional representation. Party participation varied widely: the LDP fielded 17 women, while its coalition partner Komeito backed five. The right-leaning Sanseito party put forward 24 female candidates, while the CDPJ nominated 21. The Japanese Communist Party ran 20 women, and the Democratic Party for the People fielded 12.
While challenges remain, this election marks a symbolic step forward in Japan’s slow journey toward political gender equality.
