By Nao Sakata and Miyuki Ando

New lawmakers recently elected to the lower house election attended the Diet for the first time on November 1 for its special session. Forty-seven women had been elected to the 465-seat Lower House, up two seats from 45 in the 2014 election, making up 10.1% of the seats in the House of Representatives. “We must bring more women [into the Diet],” said Diet members who are mothers in order to promote policies representing female perspectives.