Although Japan still trails behind other countries regarding the gender gap, these five powerful women smash the glass ceiling in their respective fields.

Japan made history in 2025 when it appointed its first-ever female Prime Minister. So far, Sanae Takaichi has impressed the Japanese population and conservative world leaders with her no-nonsense work ethic and social media savvy.

The Japanese “Iron Lady” (she’s a Maggie Thatcher fangirl) is also making waves overseas. Forbes Magazine dubbed her the third most powerful woman in the world in 2025. In fact, she was the only Japanese entrant out of one hundred women recognized for their influence over global affairs.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Report 2025, Japan still lags way behind in gender equality, ranking 118th out of 148 countries. This is not great news for the world’s fifth-largest economy. However, this doesn’t mean that Japan lacks influential female leaders. In fact, here’s what you should know about the most powerful women in Japan.

1. Naomi Watanabe

The first on our list of powerful women in Japan, Naomi Watanabe isn’t called “Japanese Beyoncé” for nothing. Since her debut impression of the American diva on TV in 2008, this Taiwan-born comedian has catapulted into the stratosphere. 

Watanabe’s star power has since grown aggressively, with high visibility on social media and partnerships with global brands. Unlike many other celebrities, the “pocha kawaii” (cute and chubby) Watanabe is no dummy when it comes to show business. 

Japan’s highest-paid female entertainer shrewdly controls her image and intellectual property. Her empire also includes a clothing line, Punyus. Unlike many Japanese fashion brands, hers celebrates body positivity, catering to anyone who is not stick-thin.

Growing up poor in a single-mother household in Ibaraki, life was not always easy for Watanabe. Also bullied in school, she sought solace in front of the screen. What started as her clowning around in middle school led to her moving to Tokyo to do sketch comedy. Now she calls New York home. Who’s laughing now, right?

Since then, Watanabe’s influencer game has been validated globally, including being ranked on the BBC 100 Women 2024 list. Time will only tell what’s next for the parody queen.

2. Yuriko Koike

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](https://cdn.savvytokyo.com/app/uploads/2026/01/Yuriko_Koike_2024-7-61.jpg)Making strides one day at a time

For Tokyoites, Yuriko Koike is no stranger. In 2016, she became the first female Tokyo Governor. Today, already well into her third term, she calls the shots in a global city of more than 9 million. 

Following her father’s advice to challenge the status quo always, Koike studied Arabic at the American University in Cairo, Egypt. On returning to Japan, she worked as a translator and then as an economic news anchor for Nippon TV.  

Koike then switched to politics in 1992, joining the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Her ministerial portfolio included many firsts, including first female Minister of Defence. Under her leadership as Minister of the Environment, she also spearheaded the Cool Biz campaign.

Since then, her charisma and political clout have become legendary. Like the current Japanese PM, Koike also made Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful women in 2023. In fact, Koike was first tipped to be Japan’s first female PM but Takaichi beat her to the chase.

As one of Japan’s most powerful women, Koike has always been vocal about the gender gap in Japanese society, calling the glass ceiling an “iron plate” that makes it difficult for women to ascend the corporate ladder. 

Under her leadership as Tokyo Governor, she has weathered many storms, including the COVID pandemic and the delayed Tokyo Olympic Games. Koike continues to spearhead environmental sustainability and women’s issues, even coining the term “iku-gyo” (childcare as a mission) rather than the normal “*iku-kyu” *(childcare as rest).

3. Makiko Ono

Making the cut for Fortune’s 2025 list of the most powerful women in business is Makiko Ono. After more than forty years at the same company, Ono clambered up the ranks to take the helm as president of Suntory Beverage and Food in 2023. In doing so, she became the first woman in the driver’s seat at a major listed Japanese company. 

It was just one of many firsts for the Kanagawa-born trailblazer. She also advocated to become the first woman boss Suntory assigned abroad. In France, she acquired the reputable vineyard Château Lagarde and during her posting in England, she snatched up Lucozade and Ribena for the drinks giant.

The Tokyo Uni graduate admits that breaking the glass ceiling in Japan is more difficult than in the West. Last year, she told the Broadsheet, a Fortune magazine newsletter, that while Japan does have fewer women in the C-suite, “I just happened to be female.” She hopes her appointment will inspire younger women in Japan to achieve as much or more.

4. Rei Kawakubo

With over five decades in the business, Rei Kawakubo is synonymous with avant-garde fashion. Notoriously media shy, the blunt bob-wearing designer prefers to let her designs do the talking. Her aesthetic has been described as “visionary” and “anti-fashion.” She also holds the honor of being one of only two designers celebrated by the Met Gala in New York.

The self-taught artist’s Comme des Garçons label consistently challenges conventional ideals of beauty and fashion. Her designs are often difficult to categorize, with dramatic and often distorted shapes, asymmetrical lines, holes and exposed seams that hide rather than flatter the body.

Her influence on global fashion has been so pervasive that she has been called “the mother of deconstruction.” To date, she has received many accolades, including the Isamu Noguchi Award for innovation in 2019. Now, the co-founder of Dover Street Market continues to push boundaries and pursue the new.

5. Mitsuko Tottori

Rounding up our list of powerful women in Japan is Mitsuko Tottori. She shattered the ceiling when she became the first female CEO of Japan Airlines (JAL) in 2024. Similar to Ono, the Fukuoka-native moved up the corporate ladder, from a humble flight attendant to president.

Her career trajectory is far from the norm, described as “non-elite” compared to that of past JAL CEOs. Like Ono, Tottori also made the list of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business this year. This powerful Japanese woman also made the cut in 2024.

Her leadership stint, however, has been no stranger to controversy. In 2025, her pay was docked for two months after the company experienced an incident involving two drunk pilots who caused a major flight delay on a Melbourne to Tokyo flight. In spite of this, this women’s college graduate continues to cut a path in corporate Japan for younger women to emulate.

Do you agree with our list? Who are other powerful women in Japan you think should be included? We want to hear from you!