Japan "should not feel complacent" amid signs of progress on female empowerment, sociologist and prominent feminist Chizuko Ueno has urged, saying much work remains to be done.

Speaking at the 24th annual International Conference for Women in Business earlier this month in Tokyo, Ueno said that although the ratio of female candidates running in the July 21 Upper House election hit an all-time high of 28 percent, the figure — and the government's own goal of having 30 percent of leadership roles filed by women — was far too low.

That goal was part of the government's "202030" initiative, which was established in 2003 and approved by the Cabinet in 2010 and aims to hit the 30 percent target by 2020.