On 21 October, Sanae Takaichi of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was elected by both chambers of the National Diet (parliament) as Japan’s first woman to serve as Prime Minister. Takaichi secured 237 votes out of 465 in the lower house and 125 of 246 votes in the upper house runoff. Takaichi had been appointed president of the LDP on 4 October, following Shigeru Ishiba's resignation in September after recent election losses. Takaichi now leads a minority government, formed as part of a new coalition with the Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party). While her victory represents a significant milestone in gender representation, political experts remain uncertain whether her conservative ideology will enhance women’s political empowerment. Takaichi’s new 19-member cabinet remains dominated by men, with two women alongside herself, including Satsuki Katayama, Japan’s first woman serving as Finance Minister.

Sources: The Japan Times, Reuters, The Guardian, European Parliament

On 19 September, the Sapporo Family Court ruled that the legal requirement for transgender individuals to undergo sex reassignment surgery in order to change their legal gender is unconstitutional. The ruling builds on a precedent set by a Supreme Court decision in 2023, which also declared sterilization to be unconstitutional, but left the requirement for altering one’s physical appearance unresolved. The new ruling goes a step further by declaring that requiring transgender individuals to undergo hormone treatment to change their appearance is also a violation of their rights. LGBTQIA+ rights advocates say the ruling represents a significant step forward in the fight for legal gender recognition in Japan.

Sources: Human Rights Watch, Japan Times, The Asahi Shimbun, International IDEA

On 20 July, Japan held an election for the House of Councillors (upper house) in which half (125) of the total 248 seats were contested. Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito, won 47 seats combined, falling short of the 50 seats needed to retain their majority. The opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan maintained its standing with 22 seats, but the conservative populist Sanseito party made gains, securing 14 seats, 13 more than it had won three years prior. Voter turnout was 58.5 per cent, an increase from 52.1 per cent in the 2022 election. Women’s representation in the upper house increased from 25.5 per cent in the previous election to 29.4 per cent. The recent election comes after the ruling party’s losses in the October 2024 snap election, marking the LDP’s first loss of majorities in both legislative houses since its founding.

Sources: Nippon, IPU Parline, Japan Times, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Council of Foreign Affairs

On 25 March, the Tokyo District Court ordered the legal dissolution of the Unification Church, an influential South Korea-based sect, due to harmful donation solicitation practices. The ruling revokes its tax-exempt status and requires asset liquidation while allowing it to continue religious activities. The decision followed a 2023 request from Japan’s Education Ministry, which cited the church’s manipulative fundraising and recruitment tactics that caused distress in families. Scrutiny of the Church increased after the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, when an investigation revealed long-standing links between the Church and Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic party in political lobbying and fund solicitation. The ruling is the first in Japan to dissolve a religious group for committing illegal acts under the Civil Code. The government has stated it will now shift its efforts to “giving maximum amount of support to the victims,” with plans for a court-appointed liquidator to compensate former members. The Church plans to appeal to the Tokyo High Court, claiming that the decision threatens religious freedom. 

Sources: The Associated Press, Nippon News, Jurist, The New York Times, The Asahi Shimbun