The First Female Prime Minister to Expand the Domain

For the first time in Japan, a woman has been appointed as Prime Minister.
I was thinking that this is an event of historical significance, and before I knew it, it had become this late. The night has already turned into morning.

Topics of politics tend to easily become heated, and if you talk about them the wrong way, it can create distance between people.
That is precisely why I wanted to organize my thoughts on 'politics'—a theme that is not usually discussed in daily conversation—here on note. That is what prompted me to write this article.

It is often said that 'it is better to avoid talking about politics, baseball, and religion.' They are exciting topics, but they usually end with someone feeling dissatisfied.
However, precisely because it is a topic that tends to be avoided, I feel it is worth carefully facing it on my own and organizing my thoughts, thinking, 'I suppose this is how it is.'
With that in mind, I will summarize my thoughts just a little.

1. Thinking about the significance of Japan's first female Prime Minister

There is no doubt that Sanae Takaichi's appointment as Prime Minister has become a major milestone in the long history of women's political participation in Japan.
At the same time, viewed from a global context, it could be said that this is the moment Japan has finally stepped into the 'next stage'.

In Asia, female leaders such as Indira Gandhi of India, Park Geun-hye of South Korea, and Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh have already stood at the forefront of politics.
It is not that Japan was particularly behind, but the fact that 'Japan as an economic power' finally has a female leader feels like it carries symbolic international significance. It is good news.

It was also impressive that overseas media reported that she had 'broken the glass ceiling'.
The 'glass ceiling' refers to the invisible barrier that prevents women from being promoted beyond a certain position, no matter how hard they try.
The birth of Prime Minister Takaichi may become a catalyst for further breaking down such invisible barriers.

2. Differences from the possibility of a female Emperor

A topic often compared to this is the discussion of 'what if a female Emperor were to be born?' Upon looking into it,
if that were to be realized, the impact on Japanese society would be immeasurable.
However, the implications are slightly different from the birth of a political leader (a female Prime Minister).

The Emperor is a symbol and does not possess political authority.
On the other hand, the Prime Minister is in a position to actually decide the country's direction and execute policies.
Therefore, I believe that Prime Minister Takaichi's appointment sends a concrete message to the world in that a 'woman with the power to move society' has reached the top in Japan.

3. Why is Japanese coverage so reserved?

What I found a little strange was that, despite this news being a 'historic achievement,' it seemed to be treated quite calmly in domestic reporting.

There are several reasons for this.
First, since the birth of female leaders is no longer rare globally, there might be a sense of 'getting used to it'.
Alternatively, there is a deep-seated feeling in Japan that 'politics won't change much no matter who becomes Prime Minister,' so it may have been difficult to accept it as a symbolic event.

Another possibility is that the value of 'policy over gender' has already permeated society.
In other words, more people are focusing on 'who has what ideas for conducting politics' rather than 'because she is a woman'.
That in itself can be called a mature way for society to be, but it could also be said that the significance of the social change that 'a woman became Prime Minister' is being diluted behind that.

4. Differences from when South Korea's Park Geun-hye took office

When Park Geun-hye took office as President in South Korea, the whole world paid attention.
Great expectations were placed on her as the 'first female leader in Asia,' and media coverage at the time was extremely heated.

The difference from Japan, I think, lies in the fact that society as a whole was excited about the 'dawn of a new era'.
Of course, there were pros and cons regarding her subsequent political evaluation, but I remember feeling the energy of a society that felt 'things might change'.

On the other hand, in Japan, that intensity was relatively mild, and I felt it was received rather calmly.
That could be said to mean that Japanese society has matured, or it could reflect a national character that is cautious about change.
It is not a matter of which is good or bad, but I feel it is an expression of a sense of balance that is typical of Japan.

5. Amidst the feeling that 'it's the same whoever does it'

In Japan, there is a saying that 'politics won't change even if the Prime Minister changes'.
That is a structural characteristic of the political system, and it might be the flip side of a certain sense of stability.

However, even within that stability, I feel that changes are beginning to sprout little by little.
For example, with the birth of a female leader, the younger generation and working women feel that "we, too, have possibilities."
Perhaps such a chain of small hopes will gradually move society forward.

The phrase "it's the same whoever does it" contains a coexistence of a certain kind of resignation and peace of mind.
I actually quite like this way of thinking.
I feel that one can also find a positive meaning in it, that "it has become an era where anyone can do it."
Thinking about it that way, Prime Minister Takaichi's inauguration might have been a catalyst for a slight shift in social consciousness.

To be honest, I am not good at talking about politics in front of others.
I also have a fear that opinions might be divided or that I might be misunderstood.

But that is precisely why I wanted to leave behind what I have thought about carefully as "one perspective" here on note.
This is because I feel that this is not a place to fight over whether to agree or disagree, but a place where we can share honest feelings like "this is how I felt."

I think Ms. Takaichi's inauguration as the first female Prime Minister is an event that serves as a catalyst for thinking about how social values are changing, rather than just political news.
Perhaps in a few years, we might be able to laugh about it and say, "There was such a time, wasn't there?"
However, I feel that there is surely meaning in recording this moment right now.

To conclude, I think the birth of a female Prime Minister in Sanae Takaichi is an event that has gone beyond the realm of politics—it has expanded its domain (lol).
I mean, it felt like a moment where I wondered, "Has the curse on this country finally been lifted?" because a woman is standing at the center of power.

Of course, it's not just about the political significance; it also looks like a sign that "Japanese society has finally accepted diversity."
……Well, I was watching it with interest thinking that, but
the mass media's handling of it was surprisingly casual.
It felt like they were reporting it with an attitude of "No, we've already done this, haven't we?"
I think that's where it looked a bit comical to me.
I was getting all excited thinking, "Finally, a domain expansion!" but the world was already talking as if it had been updated calmly,
so social change is something that is triggered surprisingly quietly.
I wonder if that's really true...

...I thought that if Shinjirō Koizumi had been chosen as the youngest Prime Minister ever, I would have said the same thing and written a reflection paper.
Talking about politics with me is probably not very interesting, is it? (lol) Sorry.
If anything, I'm the type who thinks it would be best if a young and beautiful woman like Cornelia li Britannia became the Prime Minister of Japan.
No, so, since it would be difficult in terms of age, I am pinning my hopes on the progress of beauty technology that would make someone look 28 even though they are 64 years old.