Japanese Female Leaders

Akie Abe is the wife of former Japanese prime minister Shinzō Abe. The daughter of a confectionery magnate, Akie has previously worked for Dentsu Inc. She has also been a DJ, using the pseudonym Akky. She once partnered with Michelle Obama to promote classroom education for girls worldwide.

Known for her relaxed and informal personal style as well as for her sharp wit, Tanaka Makiko is the first female foreign minister of Japan. Later, she also became the minister of education, culture, sports, science, and technology. Although initially she had a large following her outspoken nature made her unpopular with her colleagues, which cut short her political career.  

Takako Doi was a prominent Japanese politician who became the first female Lower House Speaker in Japan. She was also the country’s first female Opposition Leader. She became a member of the Japan Socialist Party (JSP) in 1969 and rose through the ranks with time. She was a popular politician and retired in 2005.

A pioneer of the birth control movement in Japan, Shidzue Katō was a hardcore feminist and also one of Japan’s first female politicians. A founder-member of the Japan Family Planning Association, she advocated the use of oral contraceptive pills. She was once also arrested for opposing the Japanese government.

Known as the “nun shogun,” Hōjō Masako was the wife of the first shogun of Japan, Minamoto Yoritomo. The two had fallen in love when Yoritomo was exiled, and she was largely responsible for his military success later. Following Yoritomo’s death, Masako became a nun.

Oku Mumeo was a Japanese feminist politician who played an important role in the modern Japanese suffrage movement. Renowned for her activism in the 1920s, Mumeo also played key roles in many other women's rights movements in Japan. Oku Mumeo co-founded the New Women's Association along with Ichikawa Fusae and Hiratsuka Raichō and went on to become an influential politician.