The first woman to head a regional Japan Coast Guard office said she hopes she can live up to people's expectations and that her sex should have no bearing on her ability to carry out her duties.

"I have no time to think about gender issues. We have to protect the nation's territorial waters with fewer personnel than the police," said 50-year-old Superintendent 2nd Grade Hisako Nakabayashi, who took over command of the Kushikino Coast Guard Office in Kagoshima Prefecture in April.

She is one of roughly 850 women in the Japan Coast Guard, which had about 14,000 personnel as of May.