Japan PM Takaichi says chores add to workday

Japan's first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, said she spends at least three hours on makeup, bathing, cooking and other tasks, making her daily agenda busier than those of her male predecessors, according to The New York Times.

"In the morning, I bathe, not to mention apply makeup," Takaichi said. Japan's prime minister holds a schedule packed with meetings and hourslong parliamentary sessions, according to The Associated Press. Takaichi said housework adds to that workload.

She said she works longer hours than her male predecessors due to requirements for women such as house chores and makeup, according to ABC News. In another account of her remarks, she described bathing, preparing breakfast, washing dishes and applying makeup as part of her morning routine.

Her remarks about makeup, bathing and house chores sparked backlash because she was seen as promoting old-fashioned gender roles, according to ABC News. The criticism focused on how her comments characterized household and personal-care demands placed on women.