A record number of 42 female candidates were elected in Sunday’s Upper House election, marking a step forward for gender representation in Japan’s political landscape. Women won 33.6% of the 125 Upper House seats contested on Sunday, up from 35 seats in the last election in 2022.
Among the notable winners was a Democratic Party for the People (DPP) newcomer, Mayu Ushida. The 40-year-old former NHK newsreader won a seat in the highly competitive Tokyo district in which 32 candidates vied for seven seats.
“In the course of my campaign, especially since the middle of the election period, I have heard many voices from young women, students and young men — some who are 18 years old and just got the right to vote,” she said. “I really felt how anxious many of the young working generation are about their future, and felt their strong desire for something to be done.”
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