Japanese city gets its first ever female politician
Misuzu Ikeda becomes first assemblywoman in Tarumizu city as record numbers of women elected nationwide
Misuzu Ikeda has struck a rare blow for Japanese women in politics by becoming the first female candidate to be elected to the local assembly in the southern city of Tarumizu.
Ikeda hugged supporters on Sunday night when she finished third out of 17 candidates for the 14-seat assembly in Tarumizu, which is officially recognised as a city despite its relatively small population of 15,000.