In 1985, women held just 6.6 percent of all management jobs in Japanese companies. By 2005, that number had risen to only 10.1 percent, though Japan’s 27 million working women made up nearly half of its work force. By contrast, women held 42.5 percent of managerial jobs in the United States in 2005.
Experts on women’s issues say outright prejudice is only part of Japan’s problem. An even bigger barrier to the advancement of women is the nation’s notoriously demanding corporate culture, particularly its expectation of morning-to-midnight work hours.
Still, women’s rights advocates say that the realities of Japan’s shrinking population are slowly forcing change...
Source:
Career Women in Japan Find a Blocked Path | NY Times