Japan’s Leader Says She Loses Hours to Makeup and Chores. Opinions Abound.
New York Times · LC · trust 60/100
Sanae Takaichi said she has a busier schedule than her male predecessors, a nod to the disproportionate share of household tasks in Japan that fall to women.
Then came an inquiry about her schedule. Ms. Takaichi , the first woman in Japan’s history to serve as prime minister, seized the moment to make a point. She said her daily agenda was far busier than her male predecessors because she spends at least three hours on makeup, bathing, cooking and other chores.
“Finding the time to sit down and focus with a truly clear head is a challenge,” she told the room of lawmakers, a vast majority of them men. “I feel that, compared to a male prime minister, I might be spending an extra three or four hours on these tasks.”
Ms. Takaichi’s remarks have prompted debate in Japan, where women still shoulder a disproportionate share of household chores and face pressure to conform to rigid expectations known as midashinami, or looking presentable in public. These guidelines include wearing makeup (but not too much) and high heels while avoiding short skirts and low-cut tops.
Some of Ms. Takaichi’s supporters praised her remarks, saying she had helped bring attention to the extra effort women invest to succeed at work and the role they play in running households.
“Are they saying she should show up to the Diet barefaced?” Kotoe Hashimoto, a conservative writer, said on X, using the name for Japan’s Parliament.
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