A social media post by Sanae Takaichi, Japan's Minister in charge of women's empowerment and gender equality, who hinted at intervention in Taiwan, sparking conflict with China, is causing controversy.

Japanese Minister Sanae Takaichi (right) shakes hands with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in South Africa on November 22 (local time). Yonhap News

The controversial post was made by Minister Takaichi on X (formerly Twitter) on November 21, while she was en route to South Africa to attend the G20 Summit.

In the post, she mentioned agonizing over her outfit the day before her departure, recalling a remark made by Hiroshi Ando, a member of the Party for the People, during a House of Councillors Budget Committee meeting on November 14. He had advised her to "wear clothes made with the best Japanese fabrics by the best artisans when meeting with leaders from around the world. You could be looked down upon in cheap clothes."

She continued, "I felt Ando's point had merit, so I spent hours selecting 'clothes that don't look cheap' and 'clothes that won't be looked down upon.' In the end, I packed my usual jacket and dress, but I might need to force myself to buy clothes that can give me a strategic advantage in diplomatic negotiations."

Criticism focused on the phrase "give me a strategic advantage."

Ryuichi Yoneyama, a member of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party, criticized the post on his X account, stating, "Thoughts are free, but revealing them publicly makes the other party think, 'They are trying to gain an advantage right now.' And besides, I wonder what kind of clothes would actually allow one to gain an advantage."

Akira Koike, a member of another opposition party, the Japanese Communist Party, also posted on X, "A sitting minister saying something like 'gain an advantage in diplomatic negotiations' on a flight to an international conference... Isn't that extremely reckless and ignorant?"

The term "mount" (마운트) is a loanword derived from the English word "mounting," referring to the act of an animal mounting another. In Japan, "to gain a mount" means to demonstrate superiority over an opponent.

Public reactions seem divided along ideological lines. Comments on an article posted on the Japanese search site Yahoo on November 23 showed some expressing support, noting that it must be harder for female ministers compared to men who tend to wear suits, and calling the opposition's criticism nitpicking. Conversely, others reacted by calling the choice of words dangerous or lacking dignity.

Yonhap News