[Tsuwabuki]

It has been my experience that separation is no more or less than Western countries I have visited or lived in. As I said, I think there is a clearer mental distinction, where individuals themselves overtly self-police, but even then I don't think this is different, just not as underhandedly deceptive as in, as the key example, America.

I'm an ardent feminist, and as such, believe that in Western societies, we have managed to espouse equality in public while failing to truly deal with it in private (leading, of course, to situations that make public espousal absolutely worthless). Whereas in Japan, there is limited public espousal, let alone private espousal, and so while you might think Japan is more overt in its inequality, I just think it is more honest about its inequality, not necessarily in possession of a higher overall level of such behavior.