Sanae Takaishi is the first female Prime Minister of Japan.Credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty
Japan is struggling for gender equality. It is ranked 118th out of 148 countries in the 2025 Global Gender Gap Index. Against this background, the election of a woman, Sanae Takaishi, as Prime Minister of Japan on October 21st represents a historic event.
But will her rise to the highest office in the land act as a catalyst for changing social attitudes? As a woman and neuroscientist, I have participated in large surveys of gender equality in Japanese academia, and I feel conflicted.
There is hope. Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), issued an agreement pledging to “significantly expand” scientific research grants and “establish a system that gives legal effect to the use of married names.” Both are promising for researchers, but the future of Japanese science will depend on how these policies are implemented.
‘Male-dominated campuses belong to the past’: University of Tokyo addresses gender gap
Recent changes in party positions, which may shape the direction of Japan’s science and innovation policy, are worrying. Komeito, the LDP’s former coalition partner, has called for increased stable core funding for universities and support for women and early-career researchers. In contrast, the Jordanian implementation program prioritizes market-driven innovation, managerial efficiency, and economic growth. Although promoting science and technology is on its agenda, it has not yet made proposals to reform research environments.
One issue facing women in academia is titles. Japan is currently the only country that legally requires spouses to share the same last name — a system advocated by Takaishi, a conservative. Naming law makes it difficult for women to maintain consistent publishing records and professional identities. It is a human rights issue: the right to choose one’s name.
Takaishi reportedly instructed the Minister of Justice to review and expand the system for using married names in addition to married names. This would help, but practical and legal challenges would remain. Having two surnames – one for the family record and one for everyday use – can create administrative confusion, both locally and abroad. I urge the government to adopt a clearer solution, such as allowing married couples to have separate surnames.
Alongside this policy, addressing gender inequality is an urgent priority. According to a survey conducted by the Japan Inter-Community Liaison Committee to Promote Equal Participation of Men and Women in Science and Engineering in 2021, female researchers in Japan are promoted five to ten years later than their male counterparts, regardless of whether they have children (see go.nature.com/47rvdns). The instability of the employment system is a major issue. Fixed-term research positions for postdoctoral fellows and faculty members are common. In an increasing number of universities, even full professors are not permanently employed. Longer contracts and tenure-track programs are needed.
Equality in science is a beautiful lie, and I’m done pretending