Nearly 60 women lawmakers in Japan, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, have petitioned for more toilets in the parliament building due to their increased representation. This highlights both progress and ongoing gender inequality in Japanese politics.

• 58 women lawmakers signed the cross-party appeal, citing long queues for the single women's lavatory near the Diet's main plenary session hall.
• The Diet building, completed in 1936, reflects historical gender disparities with 12 men's toilets (67 stalls) compared to 9 women's facilities (22 cubicles) in the lower house building.
• Although 73 women were elected to the 465-seat lower house in the last election (up from 45), Japan ranked 118 out of 148 in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report this year.