Photo/Illutration Lower House member Yasuko Komiyama, center, hands a request to House administration chair Yasukazu Hamada on Dec. 12, calling for more women’s restrooms in the Diet building. (Yuki Minami)

A group of female lawmakers in the Lower House is urging the government to increase the number of women’s restrooms in the parliamentary building, citing long lines and inconvenient locations that fail to accommodate the growing presence of women in politics.

The 12 Lower House members submitted a request on Dec. 12 to Yasukazu Hamada, who chairs the chamber’s rules and administration committee. The document calls for the addition of more women’s restrooms at the earliest possible time in fiscal 2026.

The request was endorsed by 58 women across party lines. They included lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party), as well as the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, is also among the supporters.

Keiko Nagaoka, a former education minister from the LDP, told reporters that even if the number of female lawmakers jump after an election, renovations cannot happen overnight.

“I hope improvements will be made step by step,” she said. Hamada has reportedly expressed a willingness to consider the proposal.

The current Diet building was completed in 1936 and was constructed before women had the right to vote. All lawmakers were men. Only after women entered politics were restrooms gradually added and expanded.

Last year, the nation elected a record 73 female members to the 465-seat Lower House.

According to the Lower House office, there are 25 restroom locations in the chamber: four unisex, 12 for men and nine for women.

In terms of fixtures, the building contains 93 toilets—67 for men, 22 for women and four multipurpose units.

While the number of toilets accessible to women appears proportionate when compared with the roughly 15 percent share of female Lower House members, lawmakers argue that the real issue is placement, not quantity.

The request highlights that of the two restrooms located near the plenary chamber, only one is designated for women and has just two stalls.

As a result, lines routinely form before plenary sessions. The document also calls for restroom planning that reflects the needs of both lawmakers and staff.

Improving access to women’s restrooms was included in a key economic policy outline released in June by former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet as part of broader efforts for greater gender equality.

Yasuko Komiyama, a Lower House member from the CDP, said she expects the government to support the initiative.

“If the administration is serious about promoting women’s empowerment, I believe we can count on their understanding and cooperation,” she said.

Related News