First Female Cabinet Minister Day

What Is First Female Cabinet Minister Day?

Every July 19th is "First Female Cabinet Minister Day" (女性大臣の日, Josei Daijin no Hi) in Japan. On July 19, 1960, Nakayama Masa (中山マサ) was appointed Minister of Health and Welfare in Prime Minister Ikeda Hayato's cabinet — becoming the first woman to serve as a cabinet minister in Japanese history. Her appointment was a landmark in Japanese women's political history, coming just 15 years after women were first granted the right to vote in Japan (1945).

Nakayama Masa: A Pioneer

Nakayama Masa was a remarkable figure in postwar Japanese politics. Born in Nagasaki in 1891, she graduated from Kwassui Girls' School in Nagasaki, went to the United States in 1911 and graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University, then worked as a teacher after returning to Japan. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in the 1947 general election, representing the former Osaka 2nd district, and won a total of eight elections. She was appointed Health Minister in 1960 at age 69. Two of her sons, Nakayama Tarō and Nakayama Masaaki, also served in the House of Representatives.

Women in Japanese Politics: A Long Road

Despite Nakayama's 1960 milestone, women's representation in Japanese politics has advanced slowly. Japan consistently ranks among the lowest of developed nations in female political participation. After the first postwar election, the number of women in the House of Representatives fell to only a handful — just six after the 1976 election — and even after a record 73 women were elected in 2024, they made up only about 16% of the chamber; in the February 2026 election, 68 women (14.6%) were elected. The 1960 appointment remains a symbolic milestone while also highlighting how far Japan still has to travel toward gender parity in political leadership.

Women's Rights in Postwar Japan

The postwar Japanese constitution (1947) explicitly guaranteed gender equality for the first time in Japanese history. Women gained the right to vote and stand for election, equal inheritance rights, and the right to choose their own spouse. These legal guarantees created the foundation for Nakayama's political career and for the gradual expansion of women's roles in public life that has continued — unevenly — in the decades since.

Fun Facts

• 1946 elections: In the first postwar election (April 1946), 39 women were elected to the House of Representatives — a remarkable 8.4% of the total, a number that was not exceeded until 2005, when 43 women were elected.
• Current representation: As of the mid-2020s, women hold roughly 15% of seats in Japan's House of Representatives — still far below the proportions seen in Nordic countries, which typically exceed 40%.