Female Lawmakers in Japan Lobby for More Toilets in Parliament Amid Gender Equality Concerns
In December 2025, a cross-party petition signed by 58 women lawmakers was submitted to Yasukazu Hamada, chair of the lower house rules and administration committee, calling for more toilets in Japan’s National Diet to accommodate the increased number of female parliamentarians.
Currently, only one women's lavatory with two cubicles serves the lower house's 73 female MPs near the plenary hall, a sharp contrast to men’s facilities which include 12 toilets with 67 stalls. In total, the lower house has nine women's facilities containing 22 cubicles. The Diet building was completed in 1936, almost a decade before women gained the vote in December 1945 after World War II.
Japan ranks 118th out of 148 countries in this year's World Economic Forum gender gap index, reflecting significant underrepresentation of women in business and the media. In parliament, women hold 72 of 465 seats in the lower house (up from 45 previously) and 74 of 248 seats in the upper house. The government has set a target of at least 30% female legislative representation.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the country’s first female PM who took office in October, has advocated for Nordic-style gender balance. However, she appointed only two other women to her 19-member cabinet. Takaichi opposes revising the 19th-century law on married-name sharing and supports male-only succession for the imperial throne. She has publicly discussed menopause as part of her approach.
Yasuko Komiyama of the Constitutional Democratic Party remarked that the push for more toilets exemplifies progress but also highlights Japan’s broader gender equality issues. She noted that female MPs often face queues to use the limited facilities before plenary sessions.
