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For many young girls in Japan today, the sight of Sanae Takaichi assuming leadership as the nation's first ever woman prime minister is impactful and formative.

This signifies a male-oriented culture and a government structure that has historically been controlled by men is currently headed by a female.

However, although the optics suggest a forward-thinking era, some women don't see her as an advocate for change.

It was rather interesting to see how people outside Japan have responded to the news,” a 21-year-old states.

People are saying, ‘wow, she's the inaugural woman prime minister in Japanese history and that would be a significant chance for women empowerment and gender equality in Japan’.

“I think that's a rather simplistic interpretation.”

Instead, Ms Ogura points to her “ideological stance and what she represents,” adding: “She perpetuates the male-dominated structure.”

A big fan of Margaret Thatcher, Sanae Takaichi has long aspired to be the “Iron Lady” of her nation.

And like Thatcher, Takaichi is a firm right-wing politician.

Observers say her leadership is a strategic decision from the governing LDP to appeal to the more conservative supporters which had lately shifted towards Japan's parties further to the right.

Takaichi opposes marriage equality and has long stood against laws that would allow married couples to have separate surnames, preventing many women from retaining their birth surnames.

Additionally, she is against women being in eligible for the throne in the imperial family.

However, she moderated some of her messaging during her campaign – stating she supports giving tax incentives to companies that provide daycare services to their staff and spoke of potential deductions for households spending on child-rearing.

Yet she has over the years supported the notion of a more traditional role for women in society and in the family.

Regarding women's issues, Takaichi is aligned with her country's subpar record on equality concerns.

Japan's Inequality in Context

Japanese women are some of the most highly educated and most skilled in the world and yet they face challenges with the expectations of a traditional culture that still pushes them into conventional positions.

Based on the latest equality ranking by the global organization, Japan ranked 118th out of among nearly 150 nations, with women's presence in the field of politics particularly minimal.

Leadership positions have historically been held by males and Japan has faced difficulties to boost the number of female lawmakers and business leaders.

The world's fourth largest economic power places at the bottom among the G7 countries when it comes to the percentage of women in its legislative body. Specifically, females constitute about 15.7% of lawmakers in Japan, the lowest figure among the seven major economies.

Progress is also sluggish when it comes to women's reproductive health: only this week was it announced that the “emergency” pill – a type of emergency contraception sold over the counter in more than 90 nations – had finally been approved for over the counter use in Japan.

Mixed Reactions to the Landmark Leadership

Even so, some see Takaichi's ascent as a critical juncture that could alter how females perceive their prospects.

“There is great significance in Ms Takaichi assuming the role of prime minister, with a wider influence on the public,” Naomi Koshi – who became the country's youngest female city leader in 2012 – informed Japan's Kyodo news agency.

She contended Japan having a female prime minister will “lower mental obstacles” for females of all ages, enabling them to believe it is normal to “stand out” as authorities in businesses and society, even as biased expectations and expectations still persist.

However Audrey Hill-Uekawa points out that, while it is remarkable Japan has its inaugural woman leader, one must remember it took her more than 30 years to get to that position.

“She's also not truly going against the grain. She's saying the same thing as the male politicians.”

The young woman adds that she ought not be placed on a platform just due to the fact she is a female.

“We need to make sure we're talking about her policies. We need to be capable of evaluate her equally as all other leaders.”

Political Context and Associations

It is not just what Takaichi has said which has caused individuals to describe her as a supporter of the patriarchy.

Additionally, it is evident by which individuals her supporters within the LDP have were.

She's the protégé of the deceased ex- hawkish prime minister a previous leader, and was endorsed in the party vote by a senior politician – a prominent member in the LDP at the leadership of one of the government's most influential right-wing factions.

His faction's support for Sanae Takaichi was crucial in uniting the party's right wing behind her.

“I do feel that it is challenging for females to somewhat relate to her achievement because it furthers this idea that we have to be compliant with the status quo,” young adult Minori Konishi says.

The 21-year-old agrees, stating that with her as a figurehead for females in politics, “the public are likely to anticipate the identical from women as too”.

“They will demand us to be compliant, not oppose the ideals that they have, and it might make our role more difficult.”

Upcoming Challenges and Anticipations

Achieving this milestone, though, was only the initial of the challenges Takaichi will encounter – including tackling a slow growth and inflation and regaining the trust of a frustrated and irate electorate, as in addition to welcoming president Trump within days of taking power.

One can reasonably assume that no-one expects women's rights matters to be high on her priority list.