You're absolutely correct though: the information is not desirable. I have one friend who lives in America of Japanese origin, and she tells me that the very reason she left Japan was because of the discrimination she felt she was up against, as well as the multitude of glass ceilings that seem to barrage her way. It's a shame, as a country that has the second biggest economy in the world could surely do a lot better if sentiments like these were eradicated.

Wow! Not a single comment on this post outside of the blog. We'll I guess I'll do the honors.

I loved this post. This was a post! Really informative and eye opening. I've been learning as of late the varying levels of discrimination against Japanese women in the work place. The information is less than desirable. I've long since taking off my rose tinted glasses that once gazed upon Japan with pure admiration, so I can finally accept/understand when I read about the less than progressive Japanese work society.

I hope that the future Japanese political leaders choose to change the height of the glass ceiling placed above female workers heads (maybe even shatter the glass all together).

You’re right though, power should be the result of achieving something else, not the desire itself.

Young Japanese women might feel more a part of the democratic process if voting was compulsory like it is here in Australia.

Most of my adult students are female, and listening to their stories of blatant sexual harassment and power harassment (Seku-hara- Powa- hara), this is absolutely unsurprising. Great post on an under discussed topic IMO

Being male, it’s easy to disregard the struggle that women have faced. In Japan, election fever is hotting up and for Aso-san and his cohorts at the LDP, the notion of ‘women’s affairs’ is proving a particularly prickly subject…..