Female lawmakers in Japan call for more toilets in parliament.

Nearly 60 female lawmakers, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, submitted a petition for more women's toilets in the Diet building; reporters noted one lavatory with two cubicles near the lower house plenary for about 73 women.

Nearly 60 female lawmakers, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, submitted a cross‑party petition asking for more women's toilets in Japan's Diet building. They said current lavatory provision does not match the increased number of women in the legislature. The petition was handed to Yasukazu Hamada, chair of the lower house committee on rules and administration. The Diet building was completed in 1936, decades before women gained the vote in Japan. Key details: - The petition was reported as signed by 58 women and described as involving nearly 60 lawmakers, including the prime minister. - A lavatory near the lower house main plenary hall was reported as having only two cubicles for about 73 women lawmakers, producing long queues before sessions, according to Yasuko Komiyama of the Constitutional Democratic Party. - Coverage cited the lower house overall as having 12 men's toilets with 67 stalls and nine women's facilities with a total of 22 cubicles. - Reported representation figures include 72 women among 465 lower house members and 74 of 248 members in the upper house, with a government target of at least 30% female representation in legislative seats. - Japan was reported as ranking 118 out of 148 in the World Economic Forum's global gender gap report, and the petition was framed as reflecting both progress in numbers and remaining gaps in equality. Summary: The petition highlights how new female representation is bringing attention to everyday facility needs and broader gender gaps in Japan's political institutions. Undetermined at this time.