Sanae Takaichi has taken office as Japan's first female prime minister, but her surprisingly male-dominated cabinet and socially conservative track record have left some women ambivalent in a nation that lags on gender equality.

Takaichi appointed only two female ministers in a 19-member cabinet, matching her predecessor and falling short of her previously announced plan to ensure women's representation in top posts "not particularly lower than Nordic countries".

"The line-up she announced betrayed that promise from the outset," said Tohko Tanaka, a media and gender studies professor at the University of Tokyo.

"This is extremely disappointing and offers no hope for women's empowerment."

When asked about her cabinet's gender imbalance, Takaichi told a press conference that she "priorit

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