TOKYO — As Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi has broken new ground in a country that struggles with gender equality. But she has quickly run up against a tradition that may be ...

Members of a university kanto club perform in Akita Prefecture, Japan. Tradition and religion dictate that only men are allowed to be sashite or pole carriers. Anthony Kuhn is NPR's correspondent ...

This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party elects its first female president, Sanae Takaichi, who is likely to become ...

What holds back women’s economic potential in East Asia? Examine the 'M-curve', the gender wage gap, and how outdated policies are driving declining birth rates.

TOKYO — Lawmakers in Japan elected hard-line conservative Sanae Takaichi as prime minister Tuesday, making her the first woman in modern times to lead the key U.S. ally. Takaichi, 64, the new leader ...

Families in the U.S. and around the world are having fewer children as people make profoundly different decisions about their lives. NPR's series Population Shift: How Smaller Families Are Changing ...