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For many young girls in Japan currently, the image of Sanae Takaichi taking the helm as the country's inaugural woman prime minister is impactful and formative.

This signifies a male-oriented culture and a political system that has long been dominated by men is now led by a woman.

But while the appearances suggest a forward-thinking era, some women do not view her as an champion of progress.

“It was quite interesting to observe how individuals outside Japan have responded to the news,” Ayda Ogura says.

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

“I think that's a very naive interpretation.”

Instead, the young woman highlights her “political beliefs and what she stands for,” noting: “She reinforces the male-dominated structure.”

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

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

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

The leader is against marriage equality and has consistently voted against legislation that would permit spouses to have separate surnames, preventing many females from keeping their maiden names.

Additionally, she is opposed to women being in line for succession in the royal household.

Nonetheless, she did soften some of her statements during her campaign – stating she favours giving financial benefits to businesses that offer childcare facilities to their staff and spoke of possible tax breaks for families investing in childcare.

Yet she has historically backed the idea of a conventional position for females in the community and in the home.

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

Japan's Gender Gap in Perspective

Women in Japan are among the most highly educated and most skilled in the world and yet they struggle with the expectations of a conservative society that still pushes them into conventional positions.

According to the latest equality ranking by the World Economic Forum, Japan ranked 118th among nearly 150 countries, with female representation in the political arena particularly minimal.

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

The world's fourth largest economy places at the bottom among the Group of Seven nations when it comes to the percentage of females in its legislative body. Specifically, women constitute about 15.7% of lawmakers in Japan, the smallest proportion among the G7.

It is even slow when it comes to women's reproductive health: recently was it announced that the “morning after” pill – a type of emergency contraception sold over the counter in over ninety nations – had finally been approved for non-prescription sales in Japan.

Mixed Responses to the Historic Leadership

Even so, some see Takaichi's ascent as a critical juncture that could change how women perceive their opportunities.

“It is highly meaningful in the new prime minister becoming prime minister, with a broader impact on society,” Naomi Koshi – who was elected as the country's most youthful woman mayor in 2012 – told Japan's Kyodo news agency.

She contended Japan having a female prime minister will “lower psychological barriers” for females of all ages, helping them feel it is acceptable to “stand out” as leaders in companies and the community, despite biased expectations and norms still remain.

But Audrey Hill-Uekawa points out that, while it is remarkable Japan has its first female leader, it is important to recall it required her more than 30 years to get to that office.

“Additionally, she is not truly going against the norm. She's saying the same thing as the men.”

Ms Hill-Uekawa further states that she shouldn't be put on a pedestal just due to the fact she is a woman.

“We need to make sure we're talking about her policies. We need to be able to evaluate her fairly as everyone else.”

Political Context and Associations

It is not only what Takaichi has stated which has caused individuals to describe her as a defender of the male-dominated system.

Additionally, it is apparent by who her supporters inside the party have were.

She was mentored of the deceased former conservative prime minister a previous leader, and was backed in the leadership election by Taro Aso – a prominent member in the LDP at the head of one of the ruling party's most powerful right-wing factions.

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

“I do feel that it is challenging for women to somewhat identify with her success because it furthers this idea that we have to be obedient with the status quo,” young adult Minori Konishi remarks.

Ms Ogura concurs, stating that with her as a figurehead for females in government, “people are going to expect the identical from us as well”.

“They're going to expect women to be compliant, not go against the beliefs that they hold, and it might make our job harder.”

Future Challenges and Expectations

Making history, though, was just the first of the challenges Takaichi will encounter – not least addressing a sluggish economy and inflation and winning back the trust of a frustrated and irate electorate, as well as hosting the US leader within a short time of assuming office.

One can reasonably assume that few anticipate gender equality issues to be a top priority on her agenda.