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To numerous young girls in Japan currently, the sight of Sanae Takaichi assuming leadership as the nation's first ever female prime minister is powerful and influential.

It means a male-oriented culture and a political system that has historically been controlled by men is now led by a female.

However, although the optics suggest a forward-thinking era, certain females do not view her as an champion of progress.

It was rather interesting to observe how people outside Japan have responded to the announcement,” Ayda Ogura says.

“Everyone's like, ‘wow, she's the inaugural woman prime minister in Japanese history and that would be a great opportunity for female advancement and equal rights in Japan’.

“I think that's a rather simplistic view.”

Conversely, the young woman points to her “political beliefs and what she represents,” noting: “She perpetuates the male-dominated structure.”

A strong admirer of Margaret Thatcher, Sanae Takaichi has long aspired to be the “Iron Lady” of her country.

And like Thatcher, Takaichi is a staunch right-wing politician.

Analysts note her leadership is a strategic decision from the governing LDP to attract the more conservative base which had recently gravitated towards Japan's parties further to the right.

Takaichi opposes same-sex marriage and has long stood against laws that would permit married couples to have different last names, blocking many women from keeping their birth surnames.

She's also opposed to women being in eligible for the throne in the imperial family.

However, she did soften some of her messaging during her election bid – saying she supports giving financial benefits to companies that offer childcare facilities to their employees and mentioned possible deductions for households spending on child-rearing.

Yet she has historically backed the idea of a more traditional role for females in society and in the family.

Regarding gender matters, Takaichi is consistent with her nation's less than impressive performance on gender issues.

Japan's Gender Gap in Context

Japanese women are among the most highly educated and most skilled in the globe and yet they struggle with the demands of a traditional culture that still pushes them into traditional roles.

Based on the latest equality ranking by the World Economic Forum, Japan placed 118th out of among 148 nations, with female representation in the political arena notably low.

Leadership positions have historically been held by males and Japan has struggled to increase the number of female lawmakers and corporate executives.

The world's fourth largest economic power ranks at the bottom among the Group of Seven nations when it comes to the share of women in its legislative body. Specifically, women constitute about 15.7% of legislators in Japan, the lowest figure among the seven major economies.

Progress is also sluggish when it comes to female healthcare: only this week was it announced that the “morning after” pill – a form of post-coital birth control available without prescription in more than 90 countries – had finally been approved for non-prescription sales in Japan.

Mixed Responses to the Historic Leadership

Even so, certain individuals view Takaichi's ascent as a critical juncture that could change how females view their opportunities.

“There is great significance in the new prime minister becoming prime minister, with a wider influence on society,” a former mayor – who became the country's most youthful woman city leader in 2012 – told local media.

Koshi argued Japan electing a woman prime minister will “reduce psychological barriers” for females of all ages, enabling them to believe it is normal to “excel” as authorities in companies and the community, despite biased expectations and norms still persist.

However a 20-year-old notes that, while it is notable Japan has its inaugural woman prime minister, one must remember it took her more than 30 years to get to that office.

“Additionally, she is not truly challenging the grain. She's saying the same thing as the men.”

Ms Hill-Uekawa further states that she shouldn't be put on a pedestal simply because she is a female.

“We need to make sure we're talking about her policies. We need to be capable of evaluate her fairly as all other leaders.”

Ideological Context and Influences

It is not just what Takaichi has said which has led people to label her as a defender of the patriarchy.

It's also evident by which individuals her supporters within the LDP have been.

She's the protégé of the late former hawkish prime minister a previous leader, and was endorsed in the party vote by Taro Aso – a senior figure in the ruling party at the leadership of one of the government's most powerful right-wing factions.

Their group's support for Sanae Takaichi was pivotal in consolidating the party's right wing behind her.

“I believe that it is challenging for women to sort of relate to her achievement because it furthers this notion that we have to be compliant with the existing system,” young adult Minori Konishi says.

The 21-year-old concurs, saying that with her as a figurehead for women in government, “the public are likely to anticipate the identical from women as well”.

“They will demand women to be conforming, not go against the ideals that they have, and it could render our role harder.”

Future Obstacles and Anticipations

Making history, however, was only the initial of the difficulties Takaichi will encounter – not least addressing a slow growth and inflation and winning back the confidence of a discontented and irate electorate, as in addition to welcoming president Trump within days of assuming office.

It's safe to say that few anticipate gender equality issues to be a top priority on her agenda.