Do Daughters Change Their Fathers? Evidence from the first-daughter effect in Japan

Research in advanced democracies documents the “first-daughter effect,” whereby fathers of firstborn daughters express more egalitarian views on gender roles. However, evidence from non-Western contexts remains scarce and inconclusive. This study examines whether the first-daughter effect holds in Japan, a country characterized by stable democratic institutions but enduring gender inequality. Using nationally representative survey data from 2000 to 2018 and quasi-random assignment of first child sex, we demonstrate that Japanese fathers with firstborn daughters exhibit significantly more gender-egalitarian attitudes. They also express greater support for gender equality policy reforms. These effects are confined to gender-related domains and do not extend to broader political ideology. Raising daughters can reshape core political attitudes, even within culturally conservative settings.