On February 8, 68 women joined ranks as members of Parliament in the National Diet, Japan’s law-making body. Two women also hold key positions in Takaichi’s Cabinet. Here are some must-know women in J

This year is already shaping up to be a monumental year for Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi. After calling a snap election in February, a record number of women joined the campaign trail (24.4% of all candidates). The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won by a landslide, grabbing 316 out of 465 seats in the House of Representatives. Overall, female candidates won 68 seats in the lower house, adding to the list of must-know women in Japanese politics today.

Although sizable, it’s still lower than the 73 seats won by women in the 2024 election. It also falls short of the government’s mandate to ensure an equal number of male and female members in the Diet, as set out in the 2018 Act on the Promotion of Gender Equality in the Political Field. Globally, Japan also ranks pretty low in gender affairs, at position 118 out of 148 countries in the latest World Economic Forum Gender Gap Index (June 2025). 

Still, there’s hope. These are the 68 seats won by women, by political party affiliation:

• Liberal Democratic Party (LDP): 39 out of 316 seats 

• Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA): 8 out of 49 seats 

• Democratic Party for the People (DPP): 8 out of 28 seats

• Sanseito: 8 out of 15 seats 

• Team Mirai: 2 out of 11 seats 

• Japanese Communist Party: 2 out of 4 seats 

• Japan Innovation Party: 1 out of 36 seats

Overall, women now make up 14.6% of the newly elected members of the lower house. With this in mind, who are the women in Japanese politics?

Ayuko Kato (LDP)

[

](https://cdn.savvytokyo.com/app/uploads/2026/02/%E5%8A%A0%E8%97%A4%E9%AE%8E%E5%AD%90%E3%81%AE%E5%86%99%E7%9C%9F.jpg)She believes that listening to the people is the key to good politics

Winning her constituency seat in Yamagata Prefecture, this Columbia University graduate is now serving her fifth term in government. Ayuko Kato hails from a family of politicians. Her father, Koichi Kato, was the LDP’s Secretary General and Chief Cabinet Secretary, while her grandfather, Seizo Kato, served in the House of Representatives.

Like her dad, she believes that listening to the people is the key to good politics. The mother of two boys has previously served as Minister of State for child policy, gender equality, youth empowerment and the declining birth rate. This must-know female Japanese politician is considered a next-generation LDP leader, hoping to follow in Takaichi’s footsteps.

Hikaru Fujita (LDP)

Hikaru Fujita shocked everyone when she announced her first pregnancy on the campaign trail. On February 8, the Harvard-educated former diplomat won her seat in Nagano Prefecture. Even though some locals think she’s a waste of time, she hopes to inspire more young women to enter politics, even as expectant mothers. 

Fujita grew up admiring her grandparents who farmed rice and tobacco in the mountains. Over the years, she has volunteered for nonprofits abroad, spent a decade with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and completed a stint with global consulting firm McKinsey & Company. 

She believes that responsible child-rearing and regional revitalization are keys to a new Japan. The future looks bright for this one.

Kimi Onoda (LDP)

As Minister in charge of economic security, “cool Japan” and “a society of well-ordered and harmonious existence with foreign nationals,”  House of Councillors member Kimi Onoda certainly has some big shoes to fill. 

Born in Illinois, USA, to a Japanese mother and American father, she and her mother moved back to Okayama Prefecture when she was one year old. Since she was a little girl, she has admired superheroes, particularly those in Super Sentai and *Dragon Ball Z. *

Because of her strong sense of justice, she studied politics at university and entered the political game in 2011. In 2017, she finally renounced her American citizenship to show her dedication to her homeland. As one of only two women in Takaichi’s Cabinet, she is one to watch.

Satsuki Katayama (LDP)

[

](https://cdn.savvytokyo.com/app/uploads/2026/02/Satsuki_Katayama_20251022_kaiken.jpg)She joined the political realm on an LDP ticket

Twice married, no kids but lots of firsts. Even in elementary school, one teacher wondered whether Satsuki Katayama would become a bride, a lawyer, an MP or the PM. Seems like the majority of those predictions came true for this high achiever. 

Unlike many of her female peers, after law school, she joined the Ministry of Finance at a time when few women held leadership positions there. She quickly rose through the ranks to become the first female in many departmental roles. 

After almost a quarter of a century in the public service,  she joined the political realm on an LDP ticket. After stints in the lower and upper houses of the Diet, in October 2025, she became the first female Minister of Finance and one of two women in Takaichi’s Cabinet. Previously, she was the only female in Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet at one point in time

Eri Yamada (Team Mirai)

Eri Yamada won the South Kanto block through proportional representation. She is one of two women who won seats in the Diet on a Team Mirai ticket. Team Mirai is a spanking new political party that believes that technology, including AI, can be used to increase efficiency in schools and government agencies. 

The former EPIC Records employee has a track record in politics, having served the Kawasaki City Council since 2019. Yamada first entered politics when she heard about a child murdering another child along her favorite Tama River. 

Since then, she has been vocal about child rearing, particularly inclusivity and offering childcare subsidy programs to all families, regardless of income level. 

Muto Kazuko (Team Mirai)

Like Yamada, Muto Kazuko is a new member of Parliament hailing from Japan’s youngest political party. Her priorities include childcare, particularly tax reduction for families with many children. She also supports using tech to deliver government services to those who need them. 

Prior to politics, the mother of two worked as a server engineer and project manager in IT for almost two decades. After retiring from the industry, she served a non-profit that supported single mothers. 

When she applied for the position of online secretary for Takahiro Yasuno (now the leader of Team Mirai), she had no idea that her entire life path would change. Let’s hope she makes a dent in the Diet.

Rina Yoshikawa (Sanseito)

[

](https://cdn.savvytokyo.com/app/uploads/2026/02/Rina_Yoshikawa_2025-2-161-scaled.jpg)The mother of three is also the deputy leader of the orange-hued party.

Winning the Tokyo block seat through proportional representation, 38-year-old Rina Yoshikawa is one of eight women who emerged victorious for Sanseito in the election on February 8. The mother of three is also the deputy leader of the orange-hued party. 

Yoshikawa’s main platform is that mothers are important to safeguarding the future and raising Japanese children with “peace of mind.” The registered nurse who previously worked in cosmetic medicine also believes that Japanese people should live in a society where “health is the norm.”

Mayuko Toyota (Sanseito)

Mayuko Toyota won the seat for the North Kanto block through proportional representation. The ex-LDP MP now serves as a Board Member for ultraconservative Sanseito. The mother of two’s political platform emphasizes social security and education. 

The Harvard grad previously served the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the Financial Services Agency and the Permanent Mission of Japan to International Organizations at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva. 

After nine years, Toyota has risen from the ashes of a tattered political career. In 2017, after serving two terms in the Diet, she resigned from her position after claims that she verbally and physically abused her male secretary surfaced. Let’s hope she treats her new political aide better than the last.

What do you think about these women in Japanese politics? Only time will tell whether they deliver on their campaign promises.

Looking for more girl power articles? Here’s one about the 5 most powerful women in Japan.