The mayor of a Japanese city went on maternity leave, sparking a nationwide debate
Shoko Kawata, the 35-year-old mayor of Yawata, announced that she is temporarily stepping down from her post to take maternity leave. Her decision unexpectedly sparked widespread public reaction in Japan and sparked lively debates about balancing motherhood and public service.
Residents of Yawata, and later those in other cities across Japan, began debating whether elected officials should take leave upon the birth of a child.
Kawata will not officially take leave, as there is no legal basis for this in Japan. However, she will delegate the mayor’s duties on an interim basis to her 62-year-old deputy, Shigeto Mosi. He will discuss important issues with her remotely once a week.
This official will go down in history as Japan’s first female mayor to take maternity leave.
Kawata announced her plans to take leave two months before and two months after her expected due date in mid-September back in May. She emphasized that everyone at work—where the average age is 39—supported her.
However, thousands of posts and comments appeared on social media, with users debating the mayor’s actions. Some support her, while others criticize her.
Supporters say Kawata sets a wonderful example by putting her family first and paving the way for other women to enter politics. Opponents, however, believe that stepping away from her official duties is “irresponsible,” and that if she wanted to get pregnant, “she should have done so before taking office.”
One of them argues that high-ranking officials who wish to take extended leave “should resign.” Others insist on a pay cut during maternity leave.
Kavata has brushed off the criticism, stating that she loves her job and that now is the right time to have a child and start a family.
“If we criticize politicians who take maternity leave, it means we are effectively excluding all women between the ages of 20 and 40—women capable of becoming pregnant—from public office,” she concluded.
Kawata became Japan’s youngest female mayor at the age of 33. She graduated from Kyoto University with a degree in economics, after which she began her career in local government and politics. According to her official social media page, she enjoys tea ceremonies, wears kimonos, and visits shrines and temples.
In Japan, where the population is aging at a record pace and birth rates are falling, discrimination against young women due to pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare is rampant. The country even has a term for it: “matahara” (short for “maternity harassment”). Because of this, young Japanese women are afraid to take extended maternity leave for fear of derailing their careers.
“I think this is the first time I’ve truly realized just how pervasive the discrimination still is,” admitted Kawata, who is six months pregnant.
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