The Remarkable Journey of Hanako Okada
Last summer, Hanako Okada, a dedicated lawyer based in Tokyo and a mother to two young children, embarked on an ambitious journey to campaign for a seat in Parliament from the northern rural district of her childhood. As she began her preparations, she encountered a consistent sentiment among those she consulted: the odds of her winning were exceedingly slim.
As a candidate representing a party in opposition, Okada was up against an incumbent from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a political powerhouse that has dominated Japan’s political landscape for all but four years since 1955. The incumbent, Jiro Kimura, came from a political lineage; his grandfather, father, and brother had all held seats in the same prefecture before him. At 44 years old, Ms. Okada was not only a political novice but also a relative stranger to the residents of Hirosaki, the city in Aomori Prefecture on the northern coast of Japan’s main island, which she had left over 25 years ago to pursue her education.
Japan has one of the lowest rates of female political representation among democratic nations. Prior to the recent general election held late last month, women occupied just over 10 percent of the seats in the lower house of Parliament, ranking Japan a disheartening 163rd out of 183 countries in terms of women’s presence in the national legislature, as reported by the International Parliamentary Union, a Swiss-based organization dedicated to promoting democracy.
Reflecting on her journey, Ms. Okada noted, “I think everyone was thinking somewhere in their hearts that it would be impossible.” This sentiment echoed during an interview last week in a conference room at her mother’s telecommunications business in Hirosaki.
However, in a stunning turn of events during the general election, Ms. Okada, representing the Constitutional Democratic Party—the largest opposition group—successfully unseated the long-standing incumbent, Jiro Kimura. This victory marked a historic moment, as she became the first woman to win in a single-seat district in Aomori, a region that is currently grappling with rapid aging and depopulation, yet is known for producing 60 percent of Japan’s apple crop.
Ms. Okada’s victory is a significant milestone, not only for her but also for the representation of women in Japanese politics. Her success stands as a beacon of hope for many aspiring female politicians in a country where political power has often been elusive for women.
