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Japan's first mayor to take maternity leave named to TIME100 Next list

Shoko Kawata, 36, gave birth to her first child in September after a national debate over elected officials and parental leave

By LineZotpaper
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Shoko Kawata, Japan's first mayor to take maternity leave, has been named one of TIME Magazine's 100 most influential rising stars, weeks after giving birth to her first child on 15 September.

Shoko Kawata, the 36-year-old mayor of Yawata City in Kyoto prefecture, has been named to TIME Magazine's TIME100 Next list, which spotlights rising stars. The recognition comes weeks after she gave birth to her first child on 15 September.

Kawata became the focus of a national debate earlier this year when she announced she would take maternity leave while in office. Japan is struggling to lift its birth rate, and her decision drew a mixture of support and backlash on social media. Supporters said she was setting an example and that Japanese society has failed to design systems with pregnancy in mind. Critics called the leave irresponsible, with one saying she should have had the baby before taking office, and others arguing her salary should be cut during leave.

In a BBC interview before giving birth, Kawata dismissed the criticism. "If we were to criticise politicians taking maternity leave, it means we are effectively excluding all women in their 20s through 40s from public office," she said.

Japan provides maternity leave for city workers, but there is no legal framework for local elected officials. Kawata worked with her office to create a plan, transferring her authority to deputy mayor Shigeto Nose for 16 weeks while working remotely when she could.

On 15 September, she announced the birth of a baby girl on X, thanking supporters and reaffirming her aim to advocate for social issues nationwide.

"As I face the countless challenges that lie ahead and learn what it truly means to be a parent, I want to reflect those experiences in real time into the policies I pursue," she wrote. "I want to confront the many challenges facing parents and children today from that same perspective, as someone living through them myself, and think about how we can find a way forward together."

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • Japan's long-running struggle to raise birth rates and its shortage of women in politics make Kawata's case a visible test of whether elected office can accommodate parenthood.
  • There is no legal framework for maternity leave for local elected officials, so the arrangements Kawata negotiated were informal and may not be available to others.
  • The TIME100 Next listing brings international attention to a domestic debate about gender, work and public service.

Background

Japan has some of the lowest birth rates in the developed world and a pronounced gender gap in politics, with women holding a small share of elected seats. While public employees such as city workers have maternity protections, local elected officials fall outside the usual leave provisions. Kawata, the mayor of Yawata City in Kyoto prefecture, created her own plan with the help of her office, temporarily handing authority to her deputy mayor for 16 weeks. Her unusual arrangement became a national talking point before her daughter was born in September.

Key Perspectives

Supporters: Social media reaction in favour of Kawata said having a baby is tough, that she is doing her best, and that Japanese society has failed to design systems with pregnancy in mind. Some praised her as a role model for other women considering politics. Critics: Opponents argued that stepping away from public duties is irresponsible, with one saying she should have had the child before taking office, and others insisting salaries should be cut during maternity leave. Kawata: She has argued that criticising politicians for taking maternity leave effectively excludes women in their 20s through 40s from public office. She says now is the right time to have a child and wants to channel her experiences as a parent into policy.

What to Watch

  • Whether Kawata returns to official duties when her 16-week arrangement ends and whether the delegation of authority works in practice.
  • Whether her case prompts national or local moves to create a proper legal framework for maternity leave for elected officials.
  • How Japan's political parties respond to the TIME100 Next recognition and whether it keeps the issue in the public conversation.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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