Shoko Kawata, Japan’s first mayor to take maternity leave, has been named among TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential rising stars.
The recognition comes just weeks after the 36-year-old mayor gave birth to her first child, a baby girl, on 15 September.
Kawata, mayor of Yawata City in Kyoto prefecture, became the centre of a national debate earlier this year over whether elected officials should be allowed to take time off for childbirth, reports BBC.
Her decision to take maternity leave drew both support and criticism across Japan, which is struggling to raise its birth rate.
Supporters on social media backed Kawata, saying having a child is difficult and praising her efforts. One observer said Japanese society had failed to build systems that adequately accommodate pregnancy, while another described Kawata as a positive example for putting her family first and helping make it easier for other women to enter politics.
Critics, however, called her decision “irresponsible” and argued that if she wanted to become pregnant, “she should have done so before taking office”. Some also said senior officials seeking extended leave “should resign”, while others argued that salaries should be reduced during maternity leave.
Speaking to the BBC before giving birth, Kawata dismissed the criticism, saying she enjoys her work and believes the time is right for her to start a family.
“If we were to criticise politicians taking maternity leave, it means we are effectively excluding all women in their 20s through 40s – women who are capable of becoming pregnant – from public office,” she said.
Japan provides maternity leave for city workers, but there is currently no legal framework governing maternity leave for local elected officials.
To address the gap, Kawata worked with her office to establish a plan under which her executive authority was transferred to deputy mayor Shigeto Nose for 16 weeks. She also continued to work remotely whenever possible.
After giving birth to her daughter on 15 September, Kawata shared a photograph on X, thanking her supporters and reaffirming her intention to address 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.”
