By IPS Correspondents
TOKYO, Sep 9 2009 (IPS)

Kuniko Tanioka is the woman to watch in Japanese politics.

Tanioka (second from right) says new premier Hatoyama "will appoint women to the ministry" Credit: Kuniko Tanioka/IPS

Elected in 2007 to the house of councilors (Japan’s upper house) for the first time, Tanioka is a native of Osaka Prefecture and a graduate from the University of Toronto with a doctorate in design.

She says U.S. President Barack Obama’s inaugural speech inspired and spurred her to become more involved in changing the world.

Tanioka spoke openly and frankly with IPS Correspondent Catherine Makino about the role women played in the recent election, their future and her hopes for the DPJ.

IPS: A lot of women candidates say the media is biased against women, especially first timers to the political system. Kuniko Tanioka: The media doesn’t differentiate between women in politics and movie stars. They are in the same corner with entertainers rather than politicians.

IPS: How can they overcome this? KT: We overcome it very patiently. Period. Japanese women are known for their endurance.

IPS: What’s the trick of enduring it? KT: If you don’t react harshly, they will praise you. You have to have a sensible attitude, act cool. It’s a game. Don’t ever show you are offended. You have to train the muscles of your face, so that you can use them according to the situation. It’s a theatrical thing.

IPS: Japanese candidates must have thick skin. KT: If you don’t have that kind of nerve you shouldn’t run for office.

IPS: Was it easier for the younger generation? KT: Yes, there are many cracks in the glass ceiling today, because our generation and the one before mine hammered it a lot.

Last year the DPJ women senators formed a group, which the party asked us to do, to assist women candidates for this election in order to encourage and facilitate them to endure this entire process.

IPS: Why did the party decide to bring in women candidates? KT: It was easy for the DJP to win the men’s vote in the 2007 elections. But we weren’t gaining a lot of votes from rural Japan and the DPJ was a very male-orientated party – women didn’t vote for it. Our party leader,(Ichiro)Ozawa, wanted to overcome those two weaknesses by putting women in those areas.

He noticed people were sick and tired of the Old Boys Club and their attitude. He needed a clear contrast to rumours of the LDP corruption, bureaucracy and dirty money.

IPS: And women would be that contrast? KT: Yes, they have a cleaner image and women gained many seats in the 2007 upper house elections.

Ozawa was experimenting in the 2007 election. In fact, at that time a woman candidate won over an ex-minister in Okayama – a cute woman fighting a big monster and the Japanese people liked that ideal.

IPS: In other words, it was an image that people liked. KT: It was like a samurai princess fighting a big lord. In spite of being a woman, she was so brave to fight against this big evil thing.

IPS: How did the DPJ select the women candidates for the recent elections? KT: They selected the women for their intelligence and looks … they looked clean so they also appealed to women voters who don’t like a lot of make-up. 2007 was the experiment for 2009 to turn over the election.

IPS: How did you coach them? KT: My way was to make them understand the basic logic. For example, women candidates are very lonely because the election is a male thing. It’s a battlefield and you are totally in a man’s culture when you’re running as a candidate. Most don’t understand your problems, family responsibilities … we give advice and encouragement.

IPS: Now that women helped the DPJ win the election, will the new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama put women in as ministers? KT: He will appoint women to the ministry but not major ministers.

IPS: How come? KT: Because we are not ready yet, only recently the DPJ has tried hard to get women candidates and many of them are still newcomers. Wait a few years and you’ll see a lot more in high positions.

IPS: How about you? KT: Could be – maybe you’ll see women now as minister of environment, family rearing, consumer agency or maybe pension planning.

IPS: What would you like to tell our readers about the DPJ? KT: Japanese politics used to be for a limited group of people and DPJ is trying hard to diversify – having more women in the battlefield and people with diverse backgrounds. Change occurs only when the actors change.

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