‘3 hours longer than men’: Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi’s workday remarks spark gender role debate

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has ignited a national debate on gender roles after telling parliament that she carries extra burdens as a woman that her male predecessors never faced, putting her performance under fresh scrutiny. Speaking on Wednesday (Oct 14), Takaichi said she works longer hours than earlier prime ministers because of expectations placed on women, including household chores and makeup. "In the morning, I take a bath, fix breakfast and do the dishes, then apply makeup," she said, estimating that this adds three to four hours to her day.

She added that it took her aides time to understand she needs extra preparation before appearing on camera. The remarks quickly backfired. Critics saw them as reinforcing outdated gender roles and glorifying the excessive working hours long regarded as a problem in Japan. Gender roles in the country remain rigid, and while long hours are the norm for men, working women also shoulder most domestic duties. Government data shows women spend nearly five hours a day on housework, compared with about 40 minutes for men. Social media users pointed out that many working women who raise children or care for elderly parents face far heavier demands than the prime minister, arguing that her comments reflected a time-management issue and a dated view of gender equality.

Lawyer Fusako Miwa wrote on social media that it is acceptable for Takaichi to need more time as long as she does her job, but using makeup as an excuse and seeking forgiveness for it is unacceptable. The controversy adds to earlier criticism. Since taking office last year, Takaichi has spoken of sleeping zero to three hours a night because of homemaking duties on top of her workload, prompting accusations that she sets a poor example on work-life balance and gender equality. Although she posts regularly on X, she has reduced her appearances in parliament and largely stays at her residence at night and on weekends, a habit critics say shows neglect of policy debate. Her troubles deepened on Wednesday when newly appointed farm minister Kazuo Yana resigned over multiple scandals. These included boasting about cutting road construction budgets for municipalities that did not back him in an election, and admitting to arranging questionable free transport for supporters at his rallies.

Takaichi's schedule was also raised by Fumitake Fujita, a senior official of her junior coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party. He proposed shortening the hourslong parliamentary sessions ministers attend almost daily, noting that Japan's prime minister attended for 72 days in 2022, versus 50 in Britain and 13 in Germany, citing think tank NXJI Research. The report also suggested hiring cooks and housekeeping staff for the prime minister's official residence so the leader can focus on duties and get enough sleep. Takaichi acknowledged that managing her schedule is hard and that she routinely takes a thick stack of documents home. She said she enjoys reading them late at night, but admitted it is difficult to find time to reflect on Japan's future direction or develop a grand vision.