Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, said she spends at least three hours daily on makeup, bathing, cooking and chores, making her schedule busier than male predecessors. She made the remarks during a Parliament budget hearing, noting the challenge of finding time to focus with a clear head. Her comments sparked debate in Japan, where women still bear a disproportionate share of household duties and face societal expectations known as midashinami.
Supporters praised her for highlighting the extra effort women invest to succeed at work and manage households. Critics, including opposition lawmaker Yoshiko Kira, argued she was reinforcing gender norms and undermining women's rights by presenting appearance expectations as natural and immutable. Takaichi, a self-described workaholic who gets zero to three hours of sleep nightly, said she often brings home a mountain of paperwork and that her all-male aides struggle to adapt to her schedule.
She noted they haven't adjusted to the fact that she is a female prime minister. Japanese women perform over three-quarters of household chores, a burden worsened by widespread overtime work, with many employees logging up to 22 extra hours monthly. Unlike the White House, her official residence lacks extensive domestic staff, as confirmed in an interview with her husband, former lawmaker Taku Yamamoto.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing