Tokyo: Japan Airlines on Wednesday named former cabin attendant Mitsuko Tottori as its new president, becoming the first woman to head the carrier and a rare female leader at a major Japanese firm. Tottori, a senior managing executive officer who joined the airline in 1985, will take the helm from April 1, joining a tiny group of women leaders at Japan Inc. In a survey taken a year ago, only 15 women served as company presidents out of 1,836 firms in the prestigious "Prime" section of Tokyo Stock Exchange. "I have spent most of my career at the frontline of safety and customer services, that is the cabin attendants' division," Tottori told a press conference. "Operational safety is the foundation of airlines. I will continue to demonstrate my firm commitment to this principle," she said. Japan has long aspired, but so far failed, to place many women in leadership positions.